Where Are You Now?
by musicallydependant
Summary: Starfire disappears from Titan Tower at sixteen without a trace. No one can find her and after a year of searching, she's presumed as dead by the police. But Robin refuses to believe that she's dead. Four years pass, and Richard Grayson is son and heir of Bruce Wayne and he has a new secretary. But who is she? And what is she hiding?
1. Chapter 1

**Sooo. Hi.:) This is my first fanfic, because it was the first to be typed instead of written down like I usually do. Enjoy.**

Four years. It's been four years. Four miserable, aching, depressing years I've lived since Starfire Disappeared. Yeah, I love her, and she loved me too, we were dating before she vanished. Ah, how I wish I knew where she is every day. I don't believe what the police told us,—Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, and basically all the honorary Titans— that she apparently died because they couldn't find her. They just gave up hope of ever finding Star. Everyone took it hard, considering that she's the nicest person you will ever meet, but the team and I took it the hardest. They moved on, though, accepting the fact that they wouldn't see Star ever again, but I didn't.

I _know_ she's alive. She wouldn't die that easily. She's Tamaranean, God damn it! She just can't die! Tamaraneans are strong, willful people. She's too strong to just give up and die!

She has one of the purest hearts in the world, fiercely loyal, always happy, no matter what, hated raising her voice to anyone, was always nice and polite to strangers, loved meeting new people, etc. I could just go on and on, since there are many other wonderful characteristics about her that are just amazing.

The moment Raven came into the living room of the Titans Tower, telling me that she couldn't find Star; I got this hollow feeling in my chest, but ignored it and went with Raven to find her. Raven had gone to Star's room because she needed to ask her something that she wouldn't tell me, and knocked on her door and called her name. After a few minutes with no answer, she opened the door with her magic and found that everything was in its place, but the window was open, the curtain blowing slightly in the wind, and Starfire gone. I immediately looked for Beast Boy and Cyborg to ask them if they had seen Starfire. Cyborg had been remodeling his T-car, and Beast Boy had been playing video games in his room. Neither of them had seen Star.

We instantly began to look for her around the tower, hoping she had gone for a walk. When we didn't find her at the tower, we searched the city, but didn't find a trace. The sinking, hollow feeling in my chest began to increase, but I couldn't think about it right now. I had to find Starfire.

Once we had searched every possible place she could have been in, we turned to the police. They took over and inspected _every_ place she had ever been in. This had gone on for almost a year, until the police gave up (yes, they gave up) on ever finding her, much less alive.

I couldn't believe it. They would just give up, when she was still out there somewhere? By that time, I was seventeen, just like the rest of the team. Star would also be seventeen, too. A few months passed after the police gave up (bastards), and around a month before I was to turn eighteen, Bruce Wayne decided to adopt me. Yes, Bruce Wayne, founder and president of Wayne Enterprises. Getting adopted by Bruce also gave me money. Money to hire a private detective to find Starfire myself. I _know_ she's still alive. She has to be.

Anyways, so now that I'm Bruce's son, I work at his company. I'm one of the big guys there, the bosses, you could say. I have my own office and my own secretary too. Speaking of which, I have a new one. She was fired for some reason I don't know, and Bruce hired a new secretary for me. I don't even know what she looks like or what her name is, so I have no idea of knowing who she is. Bruce just told me she would be in her desk in my office (secretary's desks are in their boss' office, facing each other). I was still at home, though.

Now that I'm Bruce's son, I live in his mansion. I have my own wing, and yes, it's great and stuff, but it gets pretty lonely. The only person who I can talk to there is Alfred, the butler. He's very nice and polite, but that's not having a social life.

I still talk to Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, and many of the honorary Titans, and like me, they also changed their names. Beast Boy is now Garfield Logan, Raven is Rachel Roth, Cyborg is Victor Stone, Kid Flash is Wally West, Bumblebee is Karen Beecher, Argent is Toni Monetti, etc. Rachel and Garfield fell in love and later got married (who knew?). Victor and Karen married, too, a few months or so after Rae and Gar did.

I, of course, was the Best Man for both the weddings. Rae and Karen picked their Maids of Honor with the hope that I would move on from Star and fall in love. Toni was Rachel's Maid of honor, and she _is_ nice, but we're just friends. Jennifer was Karen's Maid. I knew that she was secretly dating Wally at the time. Wally and I are practically brothers, and I'd _never _do anything like that to him at all, knowing full well he wouldn't do that to me, so of course there was nothing there, either. And there's no way in Hell that I'll forget Starfire and move on. I know she's still alive. She just can't be dead. And I'll find her.

So ever since Star disappeared, I haven't dated anyone else. In my mind, it's cheating on her if I ever do, so I never did. Guess I'm just waiting for her to come back. That's another reason for why I vowed to myself that I would never fall for another woman, knowing that Star's out there somewhere.

That doesn't mean Bruce or my friends understand, though. You can't imagine how many times Bruce set up blind dates for me, or how many times Victor, Gar, and Wally "accidentally" lost me at a concert or something. In font of some random girl they thought I would love.

Every time Bruce would set up a blind date, I would tell the girls that I wasn't looking for any type of relationship, or I just wouldn't go at all. Every time the guys would "lose" me, I would just text them that I was going home and leave. I've told Bruce and my friends all the time that I'm not going to fall for anyone because Star's still out there, but they just don't listen to me. They still insist that I need to move on. For the guys it hurts them too, I know that it does, because they have met Starfire and know how kind and amazing she is. But they still tell me the same thing.

_~*~Flashback~*~_

"It's not healthy, man. She's gone. You know it hurts us too, but you have to move on. You won't forget her; you'll just honor her memory. You know she would have wanted you to move on, too," Victor told me as we sat down in our usual booth at the sports bar we go to every month for our Guys Night.

'Oh, no,' I thought to myself as soon as he said that. 'Here we go again.' I forced a smile and sat down. Wally, Gar, and Vic looked at me patiently, waiting for my response.

I sighed. "Guys, what do you want me to say? 'Yeah, you're right; I'll just forget the one person I actually loved.' You know I can't do that." I then listened to my words. "God, I sounded like such a girl right now," I said.

Vic chuckled, before sighing too and saying, "Man, I know. But think about this, do you think Star would like to see you like this? Moping around, being antisocial, and not moving on? I know I wouldn't."

I sighed again, and then told them, "I know, I know. I've told you guys this already, yet it's like you ignore me every time. I know she's not dead, gone or any other word you can think of. I just _know _she's alive. I have no idea where, but I know she's out there somewhere. And I _will _find her. The police just gave up on locating her, but I won't. I'll keep looking for her until I die, which hopefully will be in a very long time."

Gar and Wally chuckled before Wally said, "Damn, dude. When you set your mind on something, you don't stop until you get it."

I smiled and shrugged. "Guess it's a talent of mine."

Then a waitress came. She was about our age, maybe a little younger. She had light brown hair and light blue eyes, and was way shorter than my 6', about 4'11. The guys waggled their eyebrows at me, smiling, and I just rolled my eyes at them.

"Hi, my name's Christi and I'll be your waitress today. What do these handsome men want to drink?" she smiled at us.

"Well," Victor said, holding his left hand up to show his ring, "This handsome man would like a coke."

"And this handsome man," cue the ring, "would also like a coke."

Christi looked disappointed, but then looked at Wally and me and smiled brightly.

"What about you two? Would you like cokes too?" she practically purred. Wally and I looked at each other, and—still looking at each other— at the same time said, "Beer."

Gar and Victor laughed, and Christi nodded, smiling and looking at us appreciatively. "Ok, then. Two cokes and two beers. Be right back."

As soon as she left, all three of them looked at me and said, "Well?"

See my point? It's like they're deaf or something.

Bruce doesn't make it easier either. Not by a long shot. He always hires secretaries that he thinks are hot. I don't look at women now, so it doesn't matter. The secretaries don't leave me alone, though. They're always flirting with me, doing and wearing provocative things that never affects me, etc. That's why I get a new secretary often. Each one is a girl Bruce thinks I'll like.

So that's why I'm getting a new secretary today. The last one was a bit, um, inappropriate, and Bruce didn't like it. I'm hoping this one will be controlled and quiet. That's what I need, a quiet secretary who doesn't bother me.

So right now I'm passing the reception desk in the lobby, where the secretary there was trying to get my attention. All women at Bruce's company always want to talk to me, "accidentally" drop things in front of me, things like that. Of course, I ignore them, but that doesn't mean they stop bothering me.

Thankfully, I was the only one in the elevator. I let out a breath of relief and relaxed. The elevator I always took was empty most of the time, and it was perfect for me, seeing as back when I was younger, I loved being by myself, solving my problems in my head, alone with no one to distract me. I still am like that, and that was how I resolved to find Starfire. Alone—with no one bothering me— in my room.

I sighed, wishing for the billionth time that Star was with me. How I missed her. The elevator doors opened then, revealing the floor where my office is at. The 16th floor.

What a coincidence, that my floor was sixteen, and when Star disappeared, we were 16. I actually picked this floor because it reminds me of Starfire. The prime of our lives, being part of the Teen Titans, at sixteen. It reminds me that she's alive. I just don't know where.

I walked to my office, tuning out everyone. I just needed to get to my office, and I would be alone to think and analyze different ways to find ways to find Star.

I opened the door, and stepped inside, remembering to close it tightly after. I sighed in relief and went over to my desk, not noticing my new secretary. It wasn't until I sat down, leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, and relaxed for about a minute, that I finally opened my eyes and saw her.

_**Please**_** review! It would mean a LOT to me. Tell me if I missed anything, messed up names, or made any mistakes at all in general. Feedback would be awesome.:D For those of you who like the story, chapter 2 is already thought out and the basics are done, but I need to write it. Should be done in around 2-3 weeks, depending on when the inspiration comes.:)  
>Bye!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**So, here's chapter 2. :)  
>Thank you all SO much for the reviews!<strong>

**Anonymous: Thank you, and how I came up with it, well, it came from a dream, literally. :) Can't say anything else because I'd spoil the next chapters, but can you guess who she is? And here's the next one. :)  
>Girlonthemoon: Thank you. I'm glad you like it, and here it is. :)<br>ohyouknow88: I'm happy, no scratch that, ELATED that you like it. Here's the next one. :)**

**Okay, on with the story!**

_Recap_

_I opened the door, and stepped inside, remembering to close it tightly after. I sighed in relief and went over to my desk, not noticing my new secretary. It wasn't until I sat down, leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, and relaxed for about a minute, that I finally opened my eyes and saw her._

Chapter 2

I was surprised for a moment, forgetting about the fact that I now had a secretary. I guess it was a 'duh' moment. Either way, I was startled before I realized that the person sitting across from me was the one I'd been hearing about and was waiting to meet. She was looking at me, amusement spread across her face, but there was also a bit of sadness in her eyes, like she'd been through some pretty rough things in her life. What puzzled me the most though, was that she looked shocked, too.

I smiled apologetically at her, and went over to her to introduce myself. In the process, she also stood up.

"Hello. My name is Richard Grayson, or Dick, whichever you prefer. I'm sorry for not noticing you, I was just thinking."

She smiled sadly—which puzzled me— before answering. "Hello. My name is Kori Anders. I suppose you're my boss?"

I smiled at her. "Yes, I am. Can I call you Kori?" She nodded, and I nodded too.

"Can I Call you Richard? I'm not fond of your nickname." I nodded as she scrunched up her nose in distaste, and I recognized the motion because Star used to do it when she didn't like something too.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by her question. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you thinking so hard about? You seemed in pain." I grimaced. It still doesn't get any better. Even after the years.

"It's fine, and I don't mind, and I was just planning things out for the company." I know it was a terrible lie, but I didn't want to say anything because she'd probably either think I was a stalker, or would feel sorry for me.

She looked at me, obviously not convinced. "Oh, ok then." She smiled at me, and then asked me, "Do you need anything? Can I bring you something or help you at all?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you. I'm fine."

"So," I told her, "will you have to have any absences? Sorry, I need to ask you that. You don't need to answer if you don't want to."

She waved it off. "No, it's fine. I _will_ have absences because I have a three year old daughter who's a very active little girl, and I constantly have to go to her daycare." Even though she said it with mild annoyance, her eyes softened when talking about her.

"I see. I understand, and that is a reasonable response." I smiled at her, and she nodded.

"Thank you. If you ever meet her, you'll understand even more." She chuckled softly moving her face so I couldn't see it. Another weird thing about her. The statement the n got my attention, and I asked out of curiosity.

"What is your daughter's name? I'm just curious."

She smiled, almost regretfully for some reason, and it confused me as to why. "Her name is Marie."

I nodded. "Good name. If I had a daughter, I would name her Marie, too."

She smiled again, even though it seemed strained. I changed the subject, since she seemed anxious to change it too.

"So, did you get hired by Bruce?" She nodded.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but shouldn't you call him Mr. Wayne?"

I chuckled, before answering. "No. I'm his son, so calling my father Mr. Wayne would be a little weird, don't you think?" She blinked and tilted her head to the side slightly, looking confused, and I noticed that Star did that too when she was confused.

Kori and Starfire had many things in common, I noticed. They both were extremely polite and helpful, both had the same tanned skin tone, and Kori had the little things Starfire would do unconsciously, like tilt her head slightly and blink whenever she was confused, and she scrunched up her nose whenever she didn't like something.

Then a thought occurred to me. What if Kori was Starfire? I started having hope, but then realized that's just wishful thinking.

"You're his son?" She asked me. I snapped back to reality and nodded. Kori was a little shocked about that, but didn't say anything more.

I knew the answer would probably be no, but either way I had to ask. "Kori, are you from Tamaran?"

She looked taken aback, probably not expecting the question.

I quickly added, "I'm sorry. It's just that you remind me of someone I used to know."

She smiled sadly at me again, and then shook her head. "No, sorry. I'm from California."

Even though I knew the answer wouldn't be what I wanted, I still felt a little disappointed. Either way, I smiled at her, even though I knew it didn't look as it usually did. Not that it ever did since Star disappeared, but still.

After a few minutes of semi- awkward silence, Kori suddenly asked me, "Richard, are you Robin? The leader of the Teen Titans a few years ago?"

This time it was my turn to be surprised. She just waited for my answer.

After a few seconds, I told her, "Yeah. That's me."

She smiled, nodded, and said. "I had a feeling you were Robin." That made me smile also.

"Thanks." She nodded, and that's when the phone rang.

"Sorry. I have to answer," I said, picking up my cell phone that I had left on my desk, which was vibrating and was about to fall off.

"Hello?"

"What do you think of her, man?"

'Of course,' I thought dryly. Bruce would involve the guys into picking the secretary. Of course.

"Vic, stop bothering me. I'm working right now, like you should be doing right now."

Victor chuckled over the phone and told me, "That was a low blow, Dick. Nah, I'm on my break. This is why I'm calling you. By the way, expect two more calls. Gar and Wally will want to know too."

I groaned. "Why can't you three leave me alone? I'm trying to work, you know. And you guys aren't helping." I cast a look at Kori, who was already sitting at her desk organizing some papers around and checking my calls.

"We can't. We're your bros, man!" He laughed a little, and then said, "Now tell me, what do you think of her? Wally, Gar, and I picked her out this time, and we made sure she was like her."

Even though the guys let go of the hope that Star would be alive and well, they couldn't say her name. Vic would be at the edge of tears, Gar would tune out people who mentioned her in fear of crying, and Wally would refuse to listen to her name because then out of instinct he would run.

"And let me tell you, she is a _lot _like her. Her hair, eyes, and accent aren't the same, but she reminded us of her, you know? Something about Kori is like her. We just can't figure out what."

I shook my head. They were never going to give up the dream that I would move on.

"Victor, look. I'll never move on. She's still out there, and I'll find her. No matter what I have to do, I'll see her again, face to face. Nothing you, Gar, Wally, or Bruce do will ever change my mind."

There was silence on the other side of the line. Vic sighed before answering. "I know you want to find her, and trust me, I'd do the same thing if Bee went missing. But I'd accept that she was gone and try to move on. That's the same thing_ you_ need to do."

I sighed. "Vic, I need to go back to work. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah man," Vic said, "you know we're always here for you, right?"

"Yeah, and thanks. Bye Victor."

"Bye Dick."

"I hung up and looked towards Kori's desk, and realized she wasn't there. I went over and found a note on top of a neatly stacked pile of papers.

'_Richard, Marie's daycare called me while you were on the phone and I have to go. I'm sorry for leaving so soon, and on my first day, but I'll be back as soon as I can.  
>Kori<em>

I looked at the note, then went to my desk and sat down. I then started to do the thing I did best. The thing that I get paid for. Analyzing, thinking, and strategizing.

And what I was analyzing what Kori.

_Who is she?_

**Again I say THANK YOU reviewers! Anonymous, Girlonthemoon, and ohyouknow88, you three made my day! You wanted the next chapter, you got it. :)  
>Thank you three SO much for reviewing, and I hope you liked it. :)<br>And for those of you who are reading my story but aren't leaving a review, PLEASE leave one! At least a good job is great! Just please review so I know how many people like it!  
>That's it, I guess. :) Goodbye, my peoples!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3. **

**I personally like this chapter, to be honest. I wanted to write it from the first time I thought of writing this story. This one is my favorite, so far. :)**

**Now for the reviews.**

**Rowin Wolfe: Thank you. :)  
>Fire: Thank you and here is the next chapter. :)<br>Girlonthemoon: Hehe. You just know she has a kid. :) Good job with guessing who it was! Even though I kinda made it a little obvious, huh?  
>Death For One: Thank you. :)<br>ohyouknow88: Thank you SO much. :) It makes me happy that my story is that important to you. :) You're welcome for chappie 2 and here's #3.  
>Hey-wazup-stalker: Thanks. :) I will, even though writer's block gets in my way, I will.:D<br>Ignis et Aqua: Thank you.:)**

**Now, to add something I've forgotten to add, but really isn't necessary.  
>ME NO OWN PJO.<strong>

**Now, read on. :)**

_Recap_

_Who is she?_

Chapter 3

I woke up to my bed shaking and someone screaming, "Mommy! Get up mommy! MOMMY!"

I begrudgingly opened an eye to find Marie, my beautiful three year old daughter, staring at me with a huge grin on her face, fully awake and ready to play.

I smiled. Always the excited one.

"Marie, mommy can't play today. Mommy has to go to work," I told her as I got out of bed.

Marie kept on bouncing on my bed. "Pwease? Pwease, mommy? Just for a little bit!"

I smiled again. "Okay. One game. That's it, you understand me? One game."

I turned around to see her nod her head enthusiastically. "Now," I said, "what to play?" She shrugged. A gesture her father made a _lot._

Her father. That instantly deflated me. She'd never meet her father. He doesn't even know she's alive.

I sighed. I then looked at Marie, who just wanted to play. She's too young to understand any of this. She luckily hasn't started asking who/ where her dad is, because when she did, I don't know what I'll tell her.

I put a smile on my face. "How about, the… Tickle Monster!" With that said, I jumped on the bed, tickling Marie.

"Mommy! Stop mommy!" She said between laughs.

I laughed myself, then let go, letting her calm down. While she was recovering from the tickle attack, I went to take a shower. Taking my clothes for the day with me, I said, "Marie, mommy's going to take a shower. Don't touch anything."

"Okay, mommy! Imma watch TV!" I chuckled, and as soon as I closed the door, my smile faded.

Marie's father. The only person I truly loved in my life. My bird, my teammate, my lover, my Robin.

I sighed. Yes, I'm Starfire. I'm the missing superhero from Tamaran who disappeared four years ago, leaving everything behind, yet leaving no trail so no one could find her.

I now go by a different name, just in case they ever found me. Kori Anders, a 21 year old SoCal native who moved to Jump City with her daughter Marie because she got bored of the California life. I perfected my English to the point where there is no accent whatsoever, dyed my hair black (and still do) every time I saw my red roots, and got a lifetime supply of blue contacts to try to mask my green eyes(the color changes, but the glow of my eyes doesn't change). The one thing I didn't change, and wouldn't change even if it were possible, was my skin tone.

Never would I mask it with makeup or discolor it with chemicals. That is the only thing that reminds me that my past_ wasn't_ a dream, it was real. I had been part of the looked up to Teen Titans. I had met many wonderful people. I had met Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven.

I smiled sadly. Raven and Robin. The two strongest of the team. Raven was like the big sister I wanted all my life. She was mature way beyond her age, and her calm aura helped me relax every time I was near her. She and I are like each other in a way, since our powers are both controlled by emotion. I smiled a bit, since I can still remember when we switched bodies and had to learn each other's powers.

Robin. The love of my life. How I miss him. I missed him so much the first three months after I left. Most of the time in those months, I'd think my reasons for leaving over and over, and I would start having second thoughts. I would then see my growing stomach, and I'd accept that I would never see my team again.

The reason I left was because I found out I was pregnant. And Robin was the father. If I would've told Robin I was expecting his child, he'd be overjoyed, but he would be so distracted in worrying about me that he would neglect his duty as leader of the Teen Titans, and would probably quit the team to take care of me. So I left. I brought nothing with me, not wanting them to think that I had run away.

For the first six months I disappeared, I painfully ignored every news report about the team, every front cover on any newspaper that featured them, etc. It was especially hard, though, to ignore the pleading of my friends, asking anyone who knew where I was to contact them, so they would at least know I was safe. Robin would never say anything, he'd just stare into space, but he would be holding back tears in his eyes. That was when I would cry, seeing how much pain I had caused him by leaving. But I stayed put, knowing that appearing after more than six months missing and pregnant wouldn't be smart. By that time I was around eight months pregnant, and about to give birth. I couldn't go back now. It was too late.

Around a month later Marie Phoebe Anders was born. I named her Marie because Robin had told me that if he ever had a daughter, he would name her Marie. So he would have some kind of connection with her, I named her the name that Robin had always liked. I picked Phoebe as her middle name because it's a bird, or so I am told. The bird name stands for Robin and Raven, whom I miss the most.

Marie has her father's pale human skin and his black hair (even though people don't know that. They think her black hair came from me, since I "have" black hair). From me she got my glowing green eyes and the hyperactive personality I had before she was born.

Later on I figured out that Marie had Robin's bossy attitude, and it brought a smile to my face. She was playing with her teddy bear and apparently they were at a store. She would tell her teddy to not play around, run down the halls, complain about food she wouldn't buy him, etc. Much like I would tell her.

The smile was quickly gone, however, when I thought about how similar she was to Robin. Of course I was happy she had a trait that proved she was his daughter, but it just made me sad, since he doesn't even know she exists.

By the time I had thought all of that over, I was already out of the shower. Guess I had done it automatically.

Ever since I left, I did basic motions without even thinking about it. I did eating, working, driving, and showering looking like a zombie, not showing any emotion at all, just doing what I had to do. I still do that, but now it's only when I'm worried or I'm thinking. The saying, "Old habits die hard" is true, then. After four years, that habit of mine hasn't gone away.

I quickly got dressed and left the bathroom to find Marie curled up in front of the TV, watching a recording of the Teen Titans fighting Cinderblock.

I cringed, but went closer to the TV, wanting to know why they were showing this.

"…amazing clip of the legendary Teen Titans fighting one of their past foes, Cinderblock. We present this to honor the day the team disbanded and settled down to have normal lives. All of them still come together to fend off possible threats to the city when it is needed, though," a blonde woman said, looking straight into the camera after the clip was done.

"We also presented this to commemorate the lost team member, Starfire. She disappeared from Jump City four years ago on this day, and she is presumed as dead. The remaining team members, Robin, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy, all decided mutually to go their separate ways on this day two years ago to honor Starfire's absence in our hearts. They requested their actual names not to be told."

"And so, in memory of the missing superhero who loved us all, we present this." She moved out of the way, to the side, and there was something about twenty feet tall covered by a huge veil. I went closer to the TV, curiosity getting the best of me.

The mayor of Jump tugged the veil off, and I gasped.

There was a statue of me, back when I was sixteen, wearing my old outfit. I was looking to the sky; one arm stretched upwards, my hand in a fist, and the other straight down, right next to my body. I was sideways, making it look like they took a picture of me while I was in the air, and had an extremely determined look on my face.

"This statue honors the memory of Starfire, one of the brave heroes who protected our city. She will always be in all our hearts, even though she is no longer with us. May she rest in peace."

I shivered upon hearing those last five words. I _am_ alive, and that sentence just proves that no one knows that I'm not dead. I've been here—hidden— the whole time.

"Mommy? Mommy?" I was snapped back to reality by Marie, who was tugging on my jeans, looking up at me with obvious concern in her eyes.

"Yes, sweetie?" I asked her, putting a smile on my face.

Once she saw I was fine, she smiled and pointed at the TV. "Starfire looks like you, mommy."

I tried to not let my smile falter as I replied. "She does?"

I had gotten better at lying as the years went by. When your life suddenly was all a big lie, you learned quickly.

"Yeah!" She smiled again.

"Sweetie, how does she look like me?" I asked her, since I now looked _nothing_ like my past identity.

"Not the eyes, hair, or clothes, but still you, mommy," she said, completely serious.

I stared at her, shocked. I couldn't believe she could see the resemblance between the past me and now.

"Are you sure, Marie? Mommy looks nothing like Starfire." I told her, trying to convince her that I didn't look like her.

She shook her head, looking like Robin. "No mommy. You look like Starfire. Same face," they showed another shot of the statue, and she pointed at my sixteen year old face. "See?"

The determined look on my face. The same look I get when I want something to happen or I'm doing something. I still do that, I realized. That must be what Marie was talking about.

I sighed in relief, glad to know that I was overreacting, and said, "Marie, everyone has the same face." I grabbed a mirror close by. "See?"

Marie had the same look, because she was determined to show me that I looked like my past self. She saw herself in the mirror, and her eyes widened.

"Mommy, I have the face, too!"

I chuckled a bit, before taking the mirror back and putting on my bedside table. "See honey? We all have that face. That means we want something to happen, do you understand?"

She nodded, and I smiled. "Baby, go to your room and get dressed. If you need help, call me."

"Okay mommy!" With that, she sped off to her room, giggling the whole way.

I laughed at her antics, shaking my head. Ever since she could crawl, she was hyper. And it hasn't stopped.

I got my things ready, putting them all into a handbag I had lying around. I checked to make sure I had everything I needed, and then went to Marie's room to see if she was ready. She was just finishing as I walked in, already dressed in the clothes I had picked out for her. I green short-sleeved shirt and light blue shorts. She smiled at me as I walked in.

"I'm ready, mommy!" she told me, excited. She loved going to daycare. It was just that she usually didn't stay the whole time. I normally have to pick her up early and find a babysitter.

"Okay, then. Let's go." I grabbed the keys and headed outside, Marie bouncing up and down behind me. I buckled her securely into her booster, and went to the driver's side.

I looked at the time. It was 9:11. Marie has to be at the daycare at 9:20, and I have to be at work at 9:30. The daycare was seven minutes away from our apartment, and my new job was around five minutes away. We were making great time. I smiled.

We arrived at the daycare and I stepped out. I unbuckled Marie and held her hand as we walked to the entrance. Well, I was dragged by Marie while she was running to the gates.

"Marie, slow down!" I laughed. She giggled and obeyed. We both entered the office out of breath, and one of the women working there, I'm guessing she's new, looked at us like we were crazy.

"Kori, Marie! Welcome!" I heard. I turned around and spotted who had said that. It was Jessica, the manager of the daycare. She had straight light brown hair down to her waist, always in a ponytail, and light green eyes. Right now she was walking toward us, a smile on her face.

"Hi, Jess. I'm here to drop off this little troublemaker," I ruffled Marie's hair a bit, making Marie try to swat my hands away. I laughed, and squatted down to her level.

"Marie, be a good girl today, okay? Mommy's going to be at work, and I can't miss work." She nodded, looking straight at the games, half of her attention on me. "Okay mommy."

"Bye, Marie. I'll pick you up later. Love you!" I called to her watching her practically run to the toy blocks.

"Bye mommy!" she said over her shoulder. I laughed, shaking my head, and turned to Jessica.

"Can you keep an eye on her? She's extremely hyper today, and you know what happens when she's like this." Jess nodded and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kori. I'm going to make sure at least one of us is watching her at all times." She then smiled at me. "Now you need to go to work. Wouldn't want to be late on the first day, would you?" As she said that, my eyes widened and I started jogging to the doors.

"Bye, Jess! Good luck!" I yelled over my shoulder, opening the door to my car.

"Bye, Kori! Good luck to you too!" Jess yelled back, laughing.

As soon as I was in the car and driving, I checked the time. It was 9:22. I relaxed, knowing that I would still arrive early. I stopped at a gas station along the way, buying a breakfast burrito and some coffee. I also grabbed several mustard packets and put them all in my pockets.

Yes, I still like mustard. Don't judge me.

I ate quickly in my car, and then was off again. It was 9:24, so I hurried as fast as I could.

I arrived at 9:26, and hurriedly parked the car. I was in such a hurry that I almost ran into the doors of the lobby. The secretary at the front desk looked up and smiled.

"So, I'm guessing you're the new secretary for Dick?" I nodded, too breathless from running to verbally respond.

"Well, you're the secretary to one pretty hot guy. Dick is beautiful." She told me, smiling again. "Anyways, his office is on the sixteenth floor, and his office is right across the elevator doors. As soon as the doors slide open, just look straight ahead and you'll see it. Have fun." After that last part, she winked. I smiled politely and nodded; thankful I was still a little breathless and couldn't answer. I reached the elevator and got in.

As soon as the doors slid closed, I relaxed. There was no one in the elevator, and it gave me time to think about the event that has been the highlight of my day so far.

Why had they decided to reveal a statue of me now? Why didn't they present one before? I still couldn't believe it. Why, after four years? Had they just remembered that I had been part of the Teen Titans now? Had they purposely forgotten about me, thinking I had run away from them all? It would be extremely painful emotionally if that were true. I technically _did_ run away, but they would never know.

I sighed at the same time the doors slid open to the sixteenth floor, getting back to reality.

Well, the secretary was right. His office was straight ahead. I walked slowly to the door, not wanting to get there early.

I opened the door and looked inside. He wasn't here yet, I noticed. His desk was obviously the biggest, facing the wall to the left of the door. The secretary's desk was facing 'Dick's,' pushed up against the wall his was facing. In every corner, there was a plant, taken care of well and healthy green. I sat down in front of my desk and observed the contents. There was a new computer in upper left corner, and a phone in the bottom left corner, facing me. On the other side, there was a neat pile of papers and a cup full of pencils, pens, and highlighters, with some paper clips in a little cup on the side. In the center, there was a monthly calendar, all the dates for August staring back at me. I cringed when I saw today's date. The day I left.

I reprimanded myself, not wanting to think about it. I reached inside of my bag and pulled out a thick book about the history of World War I. It just fascinated me how far humans would go to gain land and prove to others they were the best.

I came back down to Earth when I heard the door open and close. I put away the book, putting it back in my handbag, and watched my new boss walk in. He headed straight to his desk, sitting down and leaning on his chair, closing his eyes. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a black tie and handkerchief.

He stayed that way for about a minute, relaxing. He then opened his eyes, and I went into shock.

Sky blue eyes, partly messy black hair. The same face, even after all these years.

Robin.

**Sorry I stopped it there, but I had to get this chapter out already.:) The next one will be finished and uploaded by tomorrow, I promise. It's just that school is hectic. Three days after the second chapter was published, I did the CAHSEE. . Worst exam I've ever taken (so far). **

**So anyways, that's why I haven't updated. Sorry.:) **

**Please review! And I forgot to add, you can PM me anytime you want. I don't mind at all. I'll gladly answer any questions you guys ask.:)**

**Goodbye, fellow people! Until next chappie!:D**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPZ 4.  
>Guys, I'm SO sorry for not updating, but I've been having family issues, emergency trips to Mexico, and of course, it didn't help that my laptop kept shutting down for updates, and it wouldn't save anything.-_-<br>This is the **_**fourth time**_** I've written this chapter, and even though I **_**loved**_** the original, I don't have a photographic memory and therefore can't recite it from memory and write it exactly how it was.:/**

**Anyways, it's time for reviews:  
>ohyouknow88: I'm so happy you like this! :) I highly doubt my muse is going to let me do that soon, though. But I bet when he finds out, it'll be epic. :)<br>Rowin Wolfe: =D Glad to know I surprise/ amaze you.  
>supergurl107: THANKS!<br>Angst: Thank you and trust me, I'll keep writing this. :)  
>Hey-wazup-stalker: *Bows* Thanks. I will, don't worry. The more chapters come out, the more fun it gets to write it. :)<strong>

**AI NO OWN PJO**  
><span>(sadly…)

**Now on with it!**

_Recap_

_Sky blue eyes, partly messy black hair. The same face, even after all these years. _

_Robin._

Chapter 4

It couldn't be. This isn't happening. I'm having an _extremely _vivid dream about seeing him again, and this isn't happening in real time. No, this isn't real. It just _can't _be real. I'm daydreaming about him again, thinking about how I would confront him again. It just isn't real. I just need to convince myself of that fact.

But it _is _real, Robin is right across from me, staring at me, and I'm staring back. Is this some kind of joke? Is the universe finally tired of me, and has decided to torture me with this?

Of course, a little part of me, the sixteen- year old Starfire that used to be present, is overjoyed at seeing Robin again. The twenty- year old Kori though, is slightly cautious, wanting to take careful, watchful steps ahead. I've been hiding from everyone for so long; I don't know how to approach him again.

Either way, I masked my shock with an amused expression, even though I know some of my surprise came through. His confused expression said it all.

He then gave me an apologetic smile, and stood up, beginning to walk towards me. Out of courtesy, I stood up also, waiting for him to approach.

"Hello," he said, "My name is Richard Grayson, or Dick, whichever you prefer. I'm sorry for not noticing you, I was just thinking." I smiled, letting my sadness show, and replied.

"Hello. My name is Kori Anders. I suppose you're my boss?" I asked, already knowing the obvious answer.

He smiled. "Yes, I am. Can I call you Kori?" I nodded my consent and he nodded in acceptance.

"Can I Call you Richard? I'm not fond of your nickname." With that said, I scrunched up my nose, something I used to do when I was younger. I did it to see if he would recognize and remember the movement. Apparently, he did, because he saw that, and lost himself in his thoughts once more.

To keep the conversation flowing—partly because it would be awkward if it stopped suddenly, partly because I wanted to hear his voice again— I asked a question I knew would get a response from him quickly.

"If you don't mind me asking, what were you thinking so hard about? You seemed in pain." He grimaced, proving my point.

"It's fine, and I don't mind, and I was just planning things out for the company." It was an obvious lie, and I wasn't convinced at all that was the truth, but I let it go.

"Oh, ok then." I smiled, showing him I wasn't going to push, and asked, "Do you need anything? Can I bring you something or help you at all?" he shook his head.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

"So, will you have to have any absences? Sorry, I need to ask you that. You don't need to answer if you don't want to." He asked.

I waved off his concerns, answering, "No, it's fine. I _will_ have absences because I have a three year old daughter who's a very active little girl, and I constantly have to go to her daycare." I felt my eyes soften while talking about my beautiful Marie.

"I see," he replied, "I understand, and that is a reasonable response." He smiled again, and I nodded, not wanting my voice to show how pained I was. Here we were, talking about our daughter, yet he doesn't know it.

"Thank you. If you ever meet her, you'll understand even more." I managed to say. I laughed quietly and moved my face away from his line of vision, not trusting myself to keep my emotions from creeping onto my face and giving away my feelings.

"What is your daughter's name?" he suddenly asked me. "I'm just curious."

I smiled, displaying some regret, and answered, "Her name is Marie."

He nodded. "Good name. If I had a daughter, I would name her Marie, too."

I smiled again, albeit it was a bit harder to keep it up. He seemed to notice, and quickly changed the subject. "So, did you get hired by Bruce?" He inquired. I nodded

"I don't mean to sound rude, but shouldn't you call him Mr. Wayne?" I was confused as to why he wouldn't address him as Mr. Wayne. Even though he is one of the bosses here, Mr. Wayne is everyone's boss here.

He laughed for a bit before replying. "No. I'm his son, so calling my father Mr. Wayne would be a little weird, don't you think?"

'Wasn't expecting that,' I thought. So Bruce adopted Robin. That would probably explain why he's one of the important people here. Bruce gave Robin/ Richard an important role in his company, and is most likely his heir. The question is, when did he adopt him?

It must have been after I disappeared, I concluded. Robin would've never kept that a secret from me, willingly or not. He either would've told me, or I would've coaxed it out of him.

While that information sunk in, Richard was lost in thought, too. I wanted to hear him talk again, so I asked, "You're his son?" He came back from his place in the clouds and nodded. I was still a little surprised, but I didn't say anything more, having the news mostly sink in.

He then asked me a question that shocked me to the core. "Kori, are you from Tamaran?"

I didn't say anything, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. He couldn't have figured it out already, could he? I mentally cursed myself for giving him hints I thought were subtle.

'Apparently, they weren't, and look in what predicament I'm in now,' I thought bitterly.

Thankfully, my face wasn't showing any of my emotions, it was just shock. Seeing this, Richard quickly added, "I'm sorry. It's just that you remind me of someone I used to know."

I got over my surprise swiftly and smiled sadly. I shook my head. "No, sorry. I'm from California," I lied through my teeth.

He didn't seem to notice the lie, because he looked disappointed, yet he looked like he had expected the answer. I smiled sadly at him, even though he couldn't see it because he took a sudden interest in the floor. After a few seconds, though, he looked up and smiled. I noticed his eyes didn't have the same rebel spark they had when we were younger. It saddened me, since I knew I was the cause of the absence of that gleam in his eye, but nevertheless, I smiled back.

Then, a sudden thought popped into my head. What if I asked him if he's Robin, to confirm it?

'_Do it!'_ a voice in my head told me. It was as enthusiastic as my past identity had been, so I had dubbed it Starfire. It is most likely my conscious, but I still named it as my younger self.

'No,' I thought back. 'It would be rude, and I already know the answer.'

'_Yes, but having him doing the answering of the question would confirm what we know!'_

I sighed mentally. 'No, Starfire.'

It had long ago stopped being awkward talking about me. I had to, because I would hear people talk about Starfire, and I had to act as if I was just another citizen of Jump who had admired her and missed her.

'_Yes! Please do the asking! Please?'_ I sighed–mentally– once again, and conceded.

'Fine. I'll do it. Happy now?'

'_Oh, yes! I am most joyous!'_ Starfire exclaimed happily.

I sighed out loud, even though it was quiet, and gathered up the courage to ask, "Richard, are you Robin? The leader of the Teen Titans a few years ago?"

He looked startled, not expecting the question. Unlike him, though, I didn't say anything else. I just waited for his reply.

After some seconds, he said, "Yeah. That's me."

I smiled, nodding and saying, "I had a feeling you were Robin." That made him smile, too.

"Thanks," he told me, and that's when the phone rang.

"Sorry. I have to answer," he said before I could say anything. He picked up is cellphone off of his desk, which was vibrating. "Hello?"

Because I'm Tamaranean, I had "bat ears" as humans called them. So I could clearly hear the person on the other side of the line. And I instantly recognized the voice, even though it had changed slightly over the years.

"What do you think of her, man?" Cyborg asked Richard.

"Vic, stop bothering me. I'm working right now, like you should be doing right now," Richard told him.

I heard Cy chuckle and say, "That was a low blow, Dick. Nah, I'm on my break. This is why I'm calling you. By the way, expect two more calls. Gar and Wally will want to know too." I wondered who Gar and Wally were. Probably some of the Titans.

Richard groaned. "Why can't you three leave me alone? I'm trying to work, you know. And you guys aren't helping." He then looked my way. I was already sitting at my desk, organizing the stuff around the way I wanted.

"We can't. We're your bros, man!" Cy laughed, then said, "Now tell me, what do you think of her? Wally, Gar, and I picked her out this time, and we made sure she was like her."

I'm sure they were talking about me and Starfire, and I became interested more and more in this conversation. I'm not usually an eavesdropper, but this time, I couldn't help it.

"And let me tell you, she is a _lot _like her. Her hair, eyes, and accent aren't the same, but she reminded us of her, you know? Something about Kori is like her. We just can't figure out what."

I cursed myself mentally. I had to get better at acting. Some acting classes would be beneficial.

Richard shook his head, looking fed up. "Victor, look," he said, "I'll never move on. She's still out there, and I'll find her. No matter what I have to do, I'll see her again, face to face. Nothing you, Gar, Wally, or Bruce do will ever change my mind."

That exclamation choked me up. He still loves me, he's looking for me, and he won't stop until he finds me. Oh my God.

The vibrating of my own cellphone captured my attention, and I looked at the caller ID. I smiled gratefully at the name, Sunnyville Daycare.

"Hello?"

"Kori!" Jess said, sounding relieved. "You need to pick up Marie."

"I'll be there in ten minutes," I promised.

""Just hurry! Please!" I sighed. She must've either used her powers, or climbed on something, and they can't get her down.

"Don't worry, Jess. I'm coming. Bye."

"Bye Kori."

I quickly scribbled a note, explaining where I went. I was glad for the distraction, since listening to Richard talking about stopping at nothing to find me was getting to me.

'_Richard, Marie's daycare called me while you were on the phone and I have to go. I'm sorry for leaving so soon, and on my first day, but I'll be back as soon as I can.'  
>Kori.<em>

I left the note on top of a neat stack of papers, gathered my things, and quietly walked to the door. Before I turned the handle, I spun around to look at Richard again.

How I had missed seeing him. Every day was hard, knowing that I wouldn't see his face smiling at me. That's why it's so surreal to have him right in front of me. To have him be my boss once again, just like four years ago. I smiled, and then left the office, letting him finish his call with our old friend. I managed to hear the end, though.

"Yeah man," Vic said, "you know we're always here for you, right?" I smiled. The guys of the group were always close, and it clearly shows that they treat each other like brothers. Raven and I were similarly like that, which is why it was so difficult leaving the team behind.

"Yeah, and thanks. Bye Victor."

"Bye Dick."

With another smile, I left my Robin to finish talking to Cyborg, and went out the door.

**Soo, how'd you like it? I say again, I'm SO sorry for not updating, but the reasons in the beginning are true, and yeah. :)  
>Please review! They inspire me, and when I'm inspired, I write faster and the chapters come out faster. :)<br>And you can PM me, too, for those of you with accounts. Like I said before, I'll gladly clear up anything you guys and gals don't get. =)**

**That's it, I guess. Until next time, people!**


	5. Chapter 5

**CH. CINCO.**

**Thank you all for all the reviews this story's gotten. :) All your comments make me smile. :)**

**I've figured out only recently that I can respond to you guys and gal's reviews with accounts, and that's what I'll be doing. :) Of course, the anonymous reviews will be answered here, as they always have been. **

**Anyways, since there were no anonymous reviews this time, I continue. :)**

**I don't own PJO. I don't look like a dude, and if you say I do, then I'm seriously offended and I will find you.**

**:D**

**Continue on!**

_Recap_

_With another smile, I left my Robin to finish talking to Cyborg, and went out the door._

Chapter 5

As the happiness passed, I felt myself walk to my car in a daze. I had just seen and talked to Robin. I was ecstatic, knowing I would see him every day now, but I was worried about him meeting Marie. I know they'll have to meet sometime, but I just don't want it to be soon. I still have to work out the new mess my life has become because of seeing Robin again. He was now Richard, just like I was now Kori, but in my head he would still be Robin. I'd call him Richard, but my mind would call him Robin, no matter what.

The first half of the drive to the daycare passed by without me remembering a single thing. I was thinking about the new situation I got myself into, which explains why I was like that. It's proven; old habits die hard.

If only I had paid more attention to what happened with the team after I had left. If I had, I wouldn't be surprised, I wouldn't have seen Robin again, I wouldn't have applied to Wayne Enterprises, choosing to safely stay away.

But I hadn't, and now this is the price I pay. And I can't suddenly quit, I have a good paying job, and I don't want to ruin it. I'll just have to deal with it and suck it up.

I sighed, thinking back to why I never looked at the news when they appeared. It was just too painful, seeing them on the TV or on the front cover of a newspaper, knowing I should be there with them, helping defeat Slade and other villains.

I know they tried to make the best of it with me gone, since I was needed, just like everyone else, but it just wasn't the same. All five of us had a purpose, an asset that helped when we worked together. Robin with his acrobatics, Cyborg with his technology, Beast Boy with his ability to shape-shift, Raven with her magic, and me, Starfire, with my strength. We were part of a well- oiled machine, and when I left, the machine just wasn't the same.

I shook my head as I reached a stoplight, not wanting to think about it. It just hurt too much, dwelling on the past. I was already arriving at the daycare, and I had to be happy for Marie. Forcing a smile, I walked out of my car and walked to the entrance.

I walked in and found Marie sitting down on the floor, playing with the toy blocks, looking like an angel. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion and looked around, searching for Jessica. When I spotted her, I found her calming some other kids down, since they were _very_ hyper. I went to where she was and tapped her shoulder.

"Hey, Jess. I'm here. What happened?" I asked. Marie did something, I know she did. I just don't know _what_.

She turned around and sighed in relief. "Thank God you're here, Kori!" I smiled and looked around, noticing some things were out of order.

"What did she do," I asked, sighing. Jess gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Well, when it was snack time, we gave the kids goldfish crackers with a juice pouch," I groaned, already knowing where this was going. She stopped talking, and I motioned with my hands, telling her to continue.

"Marie started bouncing and ate it all in a minute, then downed the juice. She then got more juice pouches when the girls and I weren't paying attention, and gave them to the kids. Naturally, the kids became hyper and it took almost half an hour to calm them down. Marie started climbing on the shelves, tables, desks, and started running from one corner of the room to another. We were busy calming the others down, so we couldn't calm her down, too. That was when I called you. She's fine now, she leaped off the table she was on and went over to the blocks a few seconds after I called you. She's been there ever since."

I listened to Jess in silence, and when she was done, I looked over to Marie. She was calmly laying blocks on the floor and making something I couldn't see. I sighed, and said, "Jess, I'm sorry. Just never give her anything with the smallest bit of sugar and this won't happen. Just give her fruits and water, and you'll be fine."

Jess smiled and nodded. "Ok, then. From now on, it's only fruits and water for Marie. I now know from experience to never give her sugar."

"Now," I said, gesturing over to Marie, "I'm going to take the little devil home." I said the last part with a smile.

She nodded, and then asked, "But aren't you supposed to be at work? We can keep her here the rest of the day if you want. It's no problem."

I shook my head. "No, I already excused myself for the day. It's my first day off." I smiled, and continued, "And I know you're too tired now to deal with how hyperactive my daughter gets." I smiled. My daughter. I looked towards her again, and I saw that she was done with whatever she was doing with the blocks and was calling me.

"Good luck with the rest of your day, Jess," I said, moving over to where Marie was.

"Thanks, Kori! You too!" I smiled her way, then turned towards Marie.

"What do you have there, sweetie? Can mommy see?" She was hiding her work, so I couldn't see it.

She giggled a bit, before nodding. "Okay, mommy." She moved out of the way, and it took all my self-control not to gawk at it.

Marie had made a small replica of the Titans Tower from the blocks, somehow finding white blocks to frame the outside. She was even holding an action figure of Starfire in her left hand, and in her right, she was holding one of Robin. Right next to her were the other toy figures of Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy.

The only thing I could think of at that moment was, 'How did I get such a smart daughter?'

"It's the tower on TV, mommy! Do you like it?" She giggled again and lifted the two figures she was holding. "Look, mommy! Starfire and Robin! I don't know the other names, though." She looked towards the rest of the team and shrugged.

I smiled gently. "This," I said, picking up Raven, "is Raven. She can heal people and use magic. This," I picked Cyborg up, "is Cyborg. He can fix anything and he's a doctor, too." I picked up Beast Boy. "And this is Beast Boy. He can be any animal he wants to be."

Marie listened closely, and when I finished, she asked me, "Mommy, how do you know so much?"

It was an innocent question; every child has asked their parents the same one because they think their parents know everything. But it still shocked me.

"I know because I'm older. That's why." I smiled and ruffled her black hair, and stood up. "Now let's go home. Put those blocks back where they belong, Marie." She nodded, and picked them up, putting them all back in a little basket. She took my hand and we walked over to the front desk.

"Hi, Kori!" Selena, or Sel as we call her, said. She was pretty, having bright blue eyes and slightly wavy dark brown hair that was shoulder length.

"Hi, Sel," I told her, smiling.

"So, I heard today was your first day of work at Wayne Enterprises. How'd that go?"

"It went fine, actually. I didn't have a chance to actually work, though, because this little girl interrupted me." I picked Marie up and spun her around, making her laugh and scream, "Mommy, let go! Mommy!"

I chuckled, and then let her go. I put her on the ground and signed the papers that would let me take Marie home. "I have the day off now, so I'm going to take this little daredevil to the park," I said while signing.

"That's great! It would get the rest of the energy out of her system, too."

"Yes, it would. And I need to relax for a bit. Resting on a shaded bench in the park would do me good." I smiled, just thinking about it. It was perfect out, there was a slight breeze and there were occasional white, puffy clouds in the sky.

She nodded, and took the papers and pen out of my hands. "It would. Everyone needs a little break from life every once in a while." She smiled at me and nodded towards the door. "Now go and enjoy the day, Kori."

I smiled back and said, "Thanks Sel and I will." With that said, I left the daycare and walked to my car with Marie next to me. I buckled her in her seat and sat down in the driver's side. I drove away from the daycare, and when we stopped at a stoplight, I looked through the rear- view mirror at Marie.

"Marie," I started slowly, using a tone that meant she needed to explain. "What happened?" I slightly feared the answer, praying to X'Hal that she hadn't developed her powers yet.

She began fidgeting in her seat, and finally told me, "I climbed on the shelves and on the tables, and I was doing flips and stuff."

'She inherited Robin's acrobatic ability,' I thought.

'_Of course she did! She is his daughter, is he not?' _Starfire said.

'Shut up, Starfire,' I thought.

"What kind of stuff?" I asked Marie.

"Um, cartwheels and handstands, mommy." I sighed, and started driving again, since the light turned green. I turned left to where the park was, picked a shaded spot near the playground, and got out. I unbuckled Marie, and then looked her in the eye.

"I'm not mad, sweetie. Just don't do that again, okay?" She looked happy, relieved I wasn't mad.

"Okay mommy!" She then giggled and asked me, "Can I go play now?"

I nodded, grinning, and then let her get out of the car. She immediately ran to the swings, and I walked after her, watching. I sat on a shaded bench close to the playground and kept an eye on my daughter.

I smiled. Every time I look at Marie, I'm reminded of Robin. Her black hair, bossy attitude, pale skin, and flexibility are reminders that this beautiful girl is also his. She was half and half, since she had my caring personality, glowing green eyes, some unconscious habits, and possibly my powers, too. I felt a slight breeze, and closed my eyes for a few seconds, savoring it. I opened my eyes again and saw Marie staring at me curiously. She had her head tilted to the side and was blinking, much like how I'm told I look when I'm confused/curious.

"What are you doing, mommy?" Marie asked me. She got closer, stopping right in front of my knees, and looked up at me. I picked her up and put her on my lap, hugging her close to me. She hugged me back immediately, her little arms wrapping around me.

"Just thinking, honey. Just thinking," I murmured into her hair.

"Mommy, can we go home now?" She asked me.

"Why, you don't want to play anymore?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I'm tired. I want to sleep." I nodded, and I put her on the ground and stood up. I was about to walk, when I felt Marie tug on my pants. I looked down and said, "What's wrong?"

She blushed, and then raised her arms with her head down, and I immediately understood. She wanted me to carry her. I smiled and picked her up, putting her on my hip instinctively. I kissed her cheek and told her, "Don't be embarrassed. You'll always be my little baby, Marie." I hugged her again, and then walked to the car. I put her in her seat, all buckled up, and drove away to the park. I looked at the time, and saw that it was already 12:43 in the afternoon. No wonder why Marie was so tired, it was way past her naptime. The sugar in her system had delayed her being tired, but apparently she wasn't hyper anymore, and wanted to sleep. I stopped at a stoplight and looked at her through the rear- view mirror. She was already asleep, her head resting on the seatbelt, her expression peaceful. I smiled, seeing her sleep, and began driving again when the light turned green.

When we arrived at our apartment, I turned to Marie, and found her still sleeping. As I was taking off the safety belts, she woke up. She looked around sleepily, confused, and I caressed her cheek, smiling.

"Hi, baby. We're home," I told her gently. She looked at me, and smiled, still half asleep. I picked her up in my arms, closed the car door, and carried her up to our apartment.

I put her in her new bed, which she had acquired a few weeks ago. She had insisted, saying that she was too old for a crib. I smiled at the memory, remembering how much she had argued to get the bed.

I put the covers over her shoulders, turned off the lights, and closed the curtains. The light from the sun still illuminated the room, even with the curtains drawn, so I didn't turn on the nightlight.

I went to my room and slipped into my bed, too tired to change into my pajamas, and went to sleep myself. It had been a pretty eventful day. After seeing the unveiling of my statue, seeing Robin again, hearing Cyborg talk to Robin, leaving my first day of work and getting the day off in the process, and going to the park all in one day, all I wanted to do is curl up and sleep until tomorrow. I drifted off to sleep thinking about Robin.

~tTt~

I woke up and looked at the clock on my bedside table. It said it was 5:54 in the afternoon. I sat up and stretched, then got up. I left my room and checked Marie's to find it empty. I walked into the living room and found her curled up on the couch, watching TV. I smiled, and went over to sit next to her.

"Hey, sweetie. What you watching?" I asked her. She turned to me and grinned.

She pointed to the TV. "Look, mommy! Raven is talking about Starfire!"

My eyes widened, and my head whipped around to look at the TV. There she was. My old teammate and sister. Raven— or Rachel Logan, as it said her name was— was talking, staring into the camera. It felt as if she was looking straight at me, and I shivered.

"Starfire was like a sister to me." She paused, and then continued. "We had powers that were similar, since they are controlled by emotions. That helped us bond. And since we were the only girls on the team, we had to be there for each other."

"She was always _very_ excitable, very happy. She was the one that kept the team's spirits up when we were feeling sad. I had been the first one to notice that she was gone because I had gone to her room to ask her something. When she didn't answer after a few minutes, I opened the door myself, and found that she wasn't there. Everything was in its place, but the window was open. I called Robin, and he called Beast Boy and Cyborg, to see if they had seen her at all. We were all impacted greatly when she disappeared, but I think Robin took it the hardest. They had started dating a few months before, and he was in shock. I miss her, and even though I know there is an_ extremely _small chance that she may still be alive, and I lost hope of ever seeing her again, there's still a little spark of hope in me that believes she's alive and healthy, and she's just been hiding."

She sighed. "But it's wishful thinking, and she's most likely dead. And because this is the sad truth, I say rest in peace, Star. We all miss you and love you, from Cy, BB, Robin, and I."

She then hung her head, and the image changed, a reporter appeared, and said, "That was Rachel Logan, also known as Raven, part of the Teen Titans. She came in to talk about the beloved Starfire, her speech representing what the other members of the team had to say. She came to speak in behalf of her teammates, saying all she had to say about her missing friend. Good afternoon, and enjoy the rest of your evening." Then the screen went black.

I stared at the TV in shock, my mind still not comprehending what I had just seen or heard. Raven had just been on national TV, talking about my disappearance. The whole time, my eyes were glued to the screen, looking at Raven's face after four years. She was obviously older; some worry lines had appeared over the years, but there was still some resemblance to the sixteen year old I had known. Her words were what kept my eyes on the TV, though.

'She thinks I'm dead,' I thought. 'They _all _think I'm dead.'

'_Robin does not! He thinks we are alive!' _Starfire said.

'Do you think I want to risk him actually knowing we are? I'm not ready to talk to any of them yet, even though I'm forced to talk to Robin because of work. And I still have to think about Marie. Who knows how he'll react when he knows he has a daughter. I don't want my daughter to know anything about our past, Star,' I thought back.

'_You do not want Marie to know about me?' _She sounded hurt.

I sighed mentally. 'I don't want her to get sucked into the mess everything became when I left. Because I know she will, whether I want it or not. I wish I could tell her about my past, but I can't without having her ask questions like who her dad is. It'll be inevitable.'

This time, Star kept quiet.

"Mommy?" I felt a tug on my sleeve. "Mommy?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Marie, who looked concerned.

"Yes, honey?" I asked.

"Are you okay? You looked at the TV and wouldn't stop staring at it." I bit my lip and looked at the TV again, noticing it was off. Marie must've turned it off after Raven stopped talking.

"Yes, I'm okay. I was just thinking, sweetie. I'm fine." I put on a smile and faced her, trying to sound reassuring. She apparently believed it, because she relaxed and smiled back.

"Okay, mommy." She then got a twinkle in her eyes, much like how Robin's eyes would when he found something interesting.

"Mommy, do you know everything?" Marie asked me, looking up at me curiously. I smiled.

"Well," I started, still smiling, "I know enough. What do you want to know?"

She grinned and told me, "Tell me about Starfire!"

It took all my self- control to not react to that. I looked away and took a few deep breaths.

"Mommy?"

I turned around to look at her again, and smiled. "You want to know about Starfire? Why, honey?"

She shrugged. "She's my favorite Teen Titan, mommy." I smiled down at her.

"Okay then. Why is she your favorite? If you answer this question, I'll tell you everything I know, okay?" I wouldn't tell her I was Starfire. I would tell her what I knew about her, as I was a different person.

Marie looked up at me, eyes shining, and nodded. "She's my favorite because she reminds me of you, mommy. You're my hero, and she's my hero, too."

I smiled at that. She was so sweet sometimes. "Okay, Marie. Now, what do want to know?"

She paused for a minute, thinking it over, and then asked, "Where is she from?"

"She's from Tamaran, a planet far away from here. She was the princess." I told her.

"Why did she leave her planet if she was the princess?" she asked curiously.

"She left because her people didn't want her there. They didn't want her to be queen, and tried to put her in jail."

Marie looked confused. "Why wouldn't they want her to be queen?"

I remembered the reason why, and I had to keep my anger down. "The people wanted Starfire's sister, Blackfire, to be queen. They thought Blackfire was good and Starfire was evil."

"Was Blackfire good, mommy?"

"No," I said, trying to force the anger out of my tone. "No she wasn't."

She looked deep in thought after that, which looked a little a little strange on a three year old face. I took the opportunity to look at the time on the DVD player, and saw that it was 7:48. I had been here in the living room with Marie for over an hour, and I just noticed.

I glanced at her and said, "Marie, it's time to go to sleep." She looked at the clock, and her eyes widened when she saw the time. "Go to the bathroom and I'll start your bath while you brush your teeth, okay?" She nodded and raced off.

I walked after her and found her putting the toothpaste on her brush. I walked over to the tub and started the water, and by the time it was filled halfway, Marie had finished brushing her teeth.

I stepped out of the bathroom so she could get in the bathtub, and I walked to the kitchen to make us some sandwiches before falling asleep. After making them, I went to watch TV, steering clear of any news channels. I did _not _need any more stress. I settled on watching some cartoons to pass the time.

A few minutes later, Marie came into the living room, already dressed in her PJ's. She her hair was dripping we, so I went to the bathroom to get a towel. I dried her hair out, and in the meantime, Marie ate her sandwich.

"Mommy, I'm tired." Marie suddenly said, yawning. I nodded and went into the kitchen to get her a glass of milk.

"Here sweetie," I told her, handing her the glass. She grabbed it with both hands and drank it down quickly. I put the glass in the sink afterwards and went to sit next to Marie on the couch.

"Mommy, are you okay?" I turned my head to look at Marie, and found her studying me curiously.

"What do you mean, Marie?" I asked her.

"You look worried about something, mommy." I shook my head, all the while thinking, 'Never underestimate the perception of children.'

"I'm fine, Marie. I'm just thinking about work, honey. Don't worry." She still looked unconvinced, but let it go. She smiled tiredly and yawned.

"Mommy, I'm tired," She said. I smiled myself and stood up, motioning over to the rooms.

"Then come on, your room is waiting." She giggled and stood up, walking over to her room. I followed her and tucked her in, turning on the nightlight. I kissed her head and left her room, heading for the kitchen. I ate my sandwich, took a shower, and put on my pajamas, sliding into my own bed.

It had been a long, eventful day. Seeing Robin again, listening to Cyborg, picking up Marie, and seeing Raven on TV, today was a busy day. Now all I want to do is fall asleep, and not wake up until tomorrow. And that's what I did. I slept until the morning of the next day.

And I did, but that doesn't mean I slept peacefully.

**AAAAANNNNNNDDDDDD that's a wrap! :D I'm SO sorry, but I went to Mexico again, and this chapter was having problems, since I had writer's block most of the time. But I updated, right? That's something. :P  
>The next chappie will probably come out in two weeks, since I have CST's to do next week.*shudders* I hate those tests.<br>Hope you people liked this chapter, and review! It makes meh happy. :) People who don't have accounts can review too! I accept 'em all. :DDD**

**TOODLES!x)**


	6. Chapter 6

**HERE'S SIX!**

**I'm SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY! My laptop shut down suddenly, and it didn't auto save this chapter (which was almost done, by the way) or the new one-shot I was almost done with also. I spent about half an hour blaming myself, and then I watched some cartoons, so I'm ok now. Cartoons give me inspiration, which is why I'm rewriting both this chap and the one-shot. :) And it didn't help that I wasn't sure which POV to write this chappie in, Kori's or Dick's. I had to rewrite this around four or five times, and I'm still kind of eh with it.**

**ANYWAYS, I say sorry again. And now for a little announcement:  
>PLEASE review! Chapter five only got two reviews. TWO. I feel like people don't like this story no more. :( That doesn't mean I'll stop writing it, though. This story is meh BABY (for now…). I won't abandon it or give up on it because of the poor reviews. But it would make me happy if there were more reviews. PWEASE?<br>I do appreciate the people who reviewed it, though. Thank you ohyouknow88 and Hey-wazup-stalker. You two are the best reviewers I have.:)  
><strong> 

**Ok, enough of that. There's a new chapter for you people to read! By the way, this is Dick's POV, since I thought it was enough of Kori's. And there will be no recap this time, although next chapter will(probably) have last chapter's last paragraph. If that makes sense. xD**

**Disclaimer: Do I **_**really**_** need to keep doing this?**

**On with it!**

Chapter 6

The rest of the day passed by in a blur, thanks to Kori Anders, my new assistant. She was a little suspicious, and it confused me to no end. After fighting crime for so long, I just knew if someone was hiding something. And Kori was hiding something. Something big.

I just didn't know what.

I sighed as I got into my car after work, resolving to stop thinking about her. I had just met her this morning, and I was already thinking of her. I shook my head, trying in vain to think of something else.

After Kori had left, I answered the phone, made calls, listened in the meetings, gave my input on ideas, helped sort things out to make things in the company go smoother, and much more. But my mind was elsewhere, thinking about Kori.

Kori, Kori, Kori. That's all I'm thinking about now. I sighed in frustration and ran a hand through my hair, a habit I had kept due to stress.

I arrived at the mansion and parked my car in the humongous garage. I went straight to my room and asked Alfred to bring me my dinner, since I was too exhausted to go down and have dinner with Bruce. And I didn't need the questioning that was sure to follow as soon as I sat down about "what I thought about my new secretary." A person could only stand so much.

Gar and Wally had called me soon after Kori left the office, asking me if I liked her. I was still annoyed after the call with Vic, but I tried to tone it down, understanding why they were doing this. It doesn't mean I like it, though. I had told them as politely as I could that I had to work, and they both—reluctantly— hung up.

Now I was at home, lying down in my bed. I had taken a shower before eating, so I was already dressed to go to sleep. I felt nowhere near tired, though.

Today was the anniversary. The day Star disappeared, and the day the Teen Titans separated. A statue was presented in her honor today this morning and Rae had told our little circle of friends that she was going to talk about Starfire in the afternoon. Also, if something bothered me, I won't stop thinking about it until I figured it out. Thinking about Star somehow reminds me of Kori, and vice versa. Kori told me her daughter's name is Marie, which is what I had always wanted to name my daughter, she's the same age as me, she doesn't talk about her life in California at all, and she has similar gestures that Star has.

Of course, the evidence could just be a coincidence, and I'm probably jumping to conclusions. I'm probably not right, but if there were a small, infinite chance that what I'm thinking is true, I'd go for it one hundred percent. At the same time though, I don't want to lift my spirits, then be crushed when I find out it's not true.

I sighed, exhausted. I finally turned the lights off and tried to go to sleep. And I did, but it wasn't restful.

I groaned when I was woken up by my alarm clock, signaling it was time to get up and go to work. I reluctantly got out of bed and walked over to the shower, gathering my things on the way. About half an hour later, I was ready to go, dressed in a black suit with a light blue dress shirt underneath. I fixed up my dark gray tie and gathered my things to go to work.

I put on my wristwatch and noticed it was 8:17. I walked down to the kitchen to find something to eat. I made myself some coffee and some simple scrambled eggs. I finished quickly and walked out the door and to the garage. I found my black Corolla and drove to work. When I arrived it was around 9:24, so I was a bit early, since I usually come at around 10.

I ignored the receptionist and secretaries on my way to my office, knowing full well that not one of them dared to come into my office without my consent. As soon as I closed the door, I looked towards Kori's desk to find it empty. I sat down and was just about to review yesterday's work when she came in.

She was wearing a dark grey pencil skirt with a matching short sleeved button up dress shirt. She smiled at me once she saw me, and sat down in her chair. I smiled back, and looked at some papers for a few seconds until she talked.

"Hello and good morning Richard. I'm sorry that I had to leave on my first day, but my daughter got into trouble and I had to pick her up. I didn't have a babysitter available, so I had to stay with her. It won't happen again today, I assure you."

I smiled and responded, "Hello and good morning to you too Kori. It's fine, and from what you told me yesterday, she's a handful. I don't mind at all that you have to pick her up, actually, so it's ok."

She smiled gratefully, and she gestured to the paperwork already piling up on both our desks. "I think we should start working, don't you think?"

I chuckled and nodded. She started on answering calls and organizing the papers into neat piles, finishing one stack after another. I answered some calls and did my paperwork too, thankful for remembering to silence my phone, so if any of the guys tried to call me, I could easily ignore them.

Soon enough, lunch rolled around, and I stretched, stopping my work. It was around midday, and every day at lunch the guys and I meet up and talk. Sometimes they brought their wives/girlfriends, and I checked my phone to see if today was that kind of day.

Sure enough, I had gotten a text from Vic telling me that Rae, Jen, and Karen would be coming. I sent back an ok and looked up. Kori was still working, apparently not noticing it was noon already.

"Kori?" She looked up quickly, her eyes wide. It confused me, but I let it slide. "It's lunch time." She looked at her phone, which she had set right next to her, and nodded. She also stretched and stood up, gathering her things.

"Kori?" She looked up again, and I asked, "Do you want to come to eat lunch with me and some of my friends? Since you're new, I think it'd be good. There will also be my friend's wives/girlfriends there, so you won't be alone. How about it?" She thought about it for a bit, and then nodded.

"Ok. I'll go." I smiled at her, and then gestured to the door.

"Let us leave, then." She smiled, and we left the office. There were murmurs about us leaving the office together, as I knew there would be, but I didn't care. I was taking Kori out to eat lunch with me and my friends. We weren't going to be alone and we weren't in a relationship. Period.

We walked outside and I told her, "Let's go in my car. I'll take you to where my friends and I eat." She nodded again and I walked us over to my car. She got in and I did too. Before I started the engine, I sent a quick text to Vic, telling him that I was going to bring someone to eat with us. I put my phone in one of the inner pockets I had sown into every one of my jackets and began the drive to the Pizza Place, where the team and I would always go to eat.

I parked on the side of the road and got out, waiting for Kori to come out too. We walked inside and ordered our pizzas. I chose a pepperoni pizza and Kori chose a combination pizza. Once we had our orders ready, I led her up to the second floor to where everyone was sitting.

Rae, Gar, Vic, Jen, and Wally were all sitting at the table that my team and I always used to sit at, although there were some extra seats now because more people sat there now. We approached the table and they all turned to me.

"Hi guys. This is Kori Anders. She's new to the city, so I thought I'd invite her to come eat with us so she'd meet new people." All three guys waggled their eyebrows, and I just rolled my eyes at their childish antics.

"Ok, so Kori, meet Garfield and Rachel Logan, Victor and Karen Stone, Wally West, and Jennifer Terrington." I said, motioning to each person. Kori waved to all of them and said, "It's nice meeting you all."

"It's nice meeting you too, Kori," Karen said. She was always the kinder one of this group.

Kori smiled at her and I said, "Why don't we sit down instead of standing around? I'd like to eat my pizza." Kori and I sat down, and just when we were about to eat, Wally and Jen stood up.

"We have an announcement to make," Jen said. We all looked towards them both, wondering what it was. Jen took a deep breath and raised her left hand, showing a ring on her ring finger, and said, "Wally and I are getting married!"

It all erupted from there. Karen and Kori took Jen's hand and examined the ring, talking about how beautiful it was. All three women hugged and congratulated Jen, Rachel included, while the guys and I went over to Wally and patted his back.

"Congrats man. You finally got the courage to ask her?" Gar asked, smiling. Wally shook his head, smiling also.

"Nah, I've wanted to ask her for a long time now, but I didn't have the ring yet." I shook my head.

"Well, at least you finally proposed. So, when's the wedding?" Vic asked.

"Well, we decided around September."

"Who's the best man, eh Wall?" I asked. I knew who he'd pick, but I needed to hear it coming out of his mouth to confirm it.

"I don't know yet. I'm going to let Jenny pick her Maid of Honor, and then I'll pick the Best Man depending on who she picked." He shrugged.

"Ok, y'all. Let's sit down and enjoy our food, since we have to go to work after." Vic said. We all sat down, Kori next to the girls and the guys and I sitting opposite of them.

"Dick, what do you think of her? She's pretty beautiful, and just what you need." Wally whispered to me. I sighed.

"You three are never going to leave me alone, huh?" They shook their heads, and I sighed again.

"Guys, she's just a friend. I just met her yesterday, and there is no way I'm dating someone right now or in the near future." I whispered back. All three sighed, and I shook my head again.

"Let's just eat our pizzas, because we need to get back to work after this." They nodded and we turned to our food.

The rest of the time passed by pleasantly enough. The guys stopped pestering me and the girls were apparently bonding. Kori and Karen kept talking about the wedding with Jen, and Rae would just listen, talking every once in a while. Gar and Vic were arguing about the typical thing, vegetarians vs. carnivores. Wally and I were talking about our work, discussing how each of us was doing. By the time the end of lunch came around, the girls were practically best friends and Gar, Wally, Vic, and I were done talking.

I stood up and told them, "Well, it's time to go back to work." Gar and Wally groaned, and Vic, Karen, Kori, and Rae stood up too.

"Yeah, I think it's time to go back. Come on Wally, get up." Wally did as Jen said, and brushed off the crumbs on his shirt.

Gar also stood up and we all started to say our goodbyes. Kori hugged and said goodbye to Karen, Rae, and Jen, and then waved to Gar, Vic and Wally.

"It was a pleasure meeting all of you. When you're new and don't go out much, it's hard to meet people." Everyone smiled and nodded.

"The pleasure was ours, Kori. I think it's good I met you today, since now I have enough bridesmaids." Jen said, smiling.

Kori smiled back. "Yeah it is, isn't it? I'm glad I met you too, since now I know more people. And knowing more people is better than not knowing anyone." Jen nodded at that, and Rachel came over to her.

"I agree with Jennifer, it was great meeting you today. I hope to see you soon." She then turned to me. "Right, Dick?"

I shrugged. "If Kori wants to come, then ok. You have to ask her, not me." Rae smiled and told me, "That's what I wanted to hear. We already talked it over and yes, she's coming to eat with us every day at lunch." Kori nodded to confirm it.

"With just you girls or all of us as a group?" Gar asked her.

"Both. She'll eat with us, and when you four manage to ask us, we'll eat all together." Rae answered him.

"Well, how about this, from now on, we all eat together. When you four," he motioned to them, "want to eat without us," he gestured to us, "just tell us, and we'll be set. Sounds like a plan?" Everyone nodded, and after saying goodbye again, we went our separate ways to get back to work. While walking to the car, Kori started up a conversation.

"Thank you for this. The only people I know here are the ones that work at Marie's daycare and the waitresses at a diner close to my apartment. It was nice to meet new people, because everyone needs a social life." She smiled at saying this, and I smiled too. We were already in the car, and I was starting up the car.

"It's fine. I knew you'd get along with them. They're all very friendly and welcoming, especially Karen and Jen. The guys are goofballs, they always have been, but they actually have a serious side, believe it or not. Rachel, she's very quiet, but a good friend. All in all, they're good people."

'Most of the time,' I thought.

I drove us back to Wayne Enterprises, the whole time talking amiably about random topics. When we got back, we walked together up to the sixteenth floor, still chatting. We dutifully ignored the stares, whispers, and pointing about us walking together to and from lunch.

We sat down in our respectful desks after shutting the door to the office, and got down to work again.

Five o'clock finally came, signaling the workday was over. I began picking up my things, putting them away and standing up. I looked to Kori and saw that she was also doing the same thing, stuffing her belongings in her bag and standing up.

"Well, it's time to go home, huh?" I told her. She nodded and stretched.

"Yup. Time to go home and relax for a little while." She smiled.

We walked out the door and down to the lobby. After leaving the building, we went to our cars, saying goodbye. Driving home, I thought the same thing I had thought when I had first met Kori.

Who _is_ she?

**I say it again, I'm EXTREMELY sorry for not updating. Inspiration just didn't hit me. I was still a little brain dead from the CAHSEE, and then I had to do the CST's, which didn't help. All that stress kept my muse from giving me ideas for this, and how can I forget the assignments and projects I have to do now.-_-  
>I also was worried about the results for the CAHSEE thingie, so I kind of forgot to write this.:) But I'm back, and with this chapter!Yay!:D<strong>

**Ok people, tell me which POV you like better, Kori's, Dick's, or both. Because the one with the most votes is the POV for next chapter. I already have Kori's POV for ch. 7 halfway written, and I already have an idea for Dick's POV. **

**PLEASE review! I can't stress it enough. Reviews brighten my day considerably, trust me. And they also give me inspiration to keep writing this.:) So click that new blue button that says "review this chapter" and review por favor! And don't hesitate to ask me any questions about the story if you don't get something. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you guys give me. PM me, ask the question in a review, whatever you want.:)**

**Until next time!(I feel my A/N are getting longer. Eh, oh well.:D)**


	7. Chapter 7

**NUMERO 7.**

**Guys, thank you SO much for reviewing! It made my day when I saw that the amount of reviews went from 28 to 32! All you people are AWESOME!  
>ANNOUNCEMENT:<br>I'm going to respond to the reviews here again because my inbox is filling up and truthfully, I forget sometimes to answer.*smiles sheepishly***

**REVIEWS:  
><strong>**Rowin Wolfe****- Haha, you're welcome for getting you excited for this chapter. :)  
><strong>**Kimbo****- Richard's POV it is.:D  
><strong>**chica90210****- Yeeeah, I kind of forgot about that. Oops. I guess this story is a BIT AU, but if he were adopted before the story, all this wouldn't work out. My freaky brain figured that out, and I just realized it.x)/ Here is Dick's POV, hope you like it. Ah, so you're a Robin fan too? THE MORE THE MERRIER!  
><strong>**hey-wazup-stalker****- :) Thanks :)  
><strong>**ohyouknow88****- Nah, it's ok. I'm swamped with the same things. (Although the reading is entirely my ) Yeah, it's a LOT easier for me to write Kori's POV, but Dick's is just as fun.:) Aw, thanks yous.:D Hope you like this chapter!  
><strong>**mishy1****- Thank you for reviewing and here is Dick's POV. Thank you again and here is the next 1.:D  
><strong>**BlondeBunnyBoo****- Thanks for reviewing and here is the next one.:) Thanks for the compliment on the story, by the way.:)**

**Seriously guys and gals, I love you ALL. You people are just full of awesomeness, and I'm SO happy you all take the time to review this. At first I thought this story wasn't good enough, but you guys changed my mind.  
>THANKS!<strong>

**And it has been brought to my attention by myself that I kept on writing PJO instead of TT.:P I guess I just had Percy Jackson in my head. Sorryz. I felt like a complete idiot when I saw that. For reelziez.**

**Whew, that was a LONG one. But meh. I can make a longer one.*smiles evilly***

**Disclaimer:**

**Seriously. Would I be writing fanfiction if I was an actual author, making money?(Okay, maybe I would… Oh who am I kidding, I would.:D)**

**Now, here it is. The point of view you wanted and all voted for, here's Dick!**

Chapter 7

I went home and this time, I ate with Bruce. He surprisingly didn't comment on Kori, which made dinner pleasant. Instead, we talked about promotions for some employees and new ideas for Wayne Enterprises.

After dinner and the nightly routine of a shower, I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The next morning, I woke up at 5:30 to go jog. Every third day or so, I wake up early before work to go jog around the mansion. I dressed in some shorts and a short sleeved shirt and walked outside. The crisp morning air hit my face and I smiled. It reminded me of when I had my motorcycle, especially when I ran. I began jogging, just enjoying the air as it hit my face. It was when my wristwatch began beeping that II noticed it was time to head back. I looked at the time and noticed it was close to 6:20. I sprinted back to my room and went to the bathroom for a quick shower. After getting dressed in my work suit, I gathered my things and went out the door. I got a bagel from the kitchen and went out the door, eating it as I went out the door.

My cellphone started ringing just as I was leaving, and I checked the caller ID. It was the private detective I had hired to look for Star, Michael. I answered it immediately, wanting to know what he had to say. He called me every month, either to tell me nothing was coming up—which happened every time— or to tell me that he may have found something, and was going to look into it.

"Hi Mike. Have you found anything?"

I heard a chuckle from the other end. "You always get straight to the point, don't you?" He stayed silent for a few seconds, and then he finally sighed and told me "Dick, you might want to sit down."

I instantly began to think the worst. Had he found her dead? Was she already buried, had he found her grave? Had she just died recently? Was she married to someone, and she doesn't even remember me? Is she dying?

My internal rambling was cut off when Mike sighed again.

"Dick, Starfire is alive."

I was speechless. Purely, completely, utterly unable to speak.

"Mike," I croaked, "What did you just say?"

He sighed again and said, "She's alive."

I started shaking my head. This was too good to be true. _Way_ too good. "Mike, are you sure, 100% sure it's her?"

"Not completely sure, but this girl is _very_ close. Doesn't look like the Starfire you talked to me about, though, but from the reports, she has her personality and acts like her."

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding and sat down in a chair that was conveniently close to the front door. "Tell me once you find something more." I told Mike.

I could imagine him nodding. "Yeah, of course I'll tell you. I don't get paid for doing nothing, right?" I could hear the smile in his voice. I laughed lightly and nodded myself.

"You got that right. I have to go, so bye."

"Bye." I hung up and looked at the phone in wonder. Starfire was alive. I _knew_ it! I smiled to myself and got up. I walked to my car and drove away from the mansion, a huge grin on my face.

WAYNWAYNWAYNWAYN

Soon, I was already at Wayne Enterprises, and I parked my car. I went up to the sixteenth floor and entered my office. It was then that I checked the time, and noticed that it was 8:43. I groaned, not wanting to come early, but I was here anyways. I usually got here at around 9:15. Better make the best of it. I sighed as I got down to work. Well, tried to, anyways. The news I received this morning was still in my head, proving hard for me to actually work on something.

After what felts like moments later, I heard the door open and I looked up. Kori walked in and sat in her desk. She smiled at me as soon as she saw that I had looked up, albeit a bit pained, but either way I smiled back.

"Hello Kori." I told her, still smiling from the news of this morning. She cocked her head to the side, but nevertheless nodded politely and smiled again.

"Hello Richard. May I ask why you're happy today?"

I smiled at her even more. "I was told some very good news this morning, that all."

She nodded, seeming confused, and spoke. "Ah, ok." She smiled at me, and nodded towards my desk. "I see you're already working, so I won't disturb you." She took out her things and began to work also. I smiled again before looking back at my papers. I happened to look at the clock I had on a wall and my eyes widened. It was 9:32, and I had come in at 8:30. A whole hour working and it had felt like minutes.

Shaking my head, I went back to work, still thinking of the news.

WAYNWAYNWAYNWAYN

The rest of the morning was quiet, with the occasional comment or question about work. When lunchtime had come, I stood up. Kori had stood up too, and we walked out the door together, just like yesterday. As soon as we reached the parking lot, I turned to Kori.

"Are you and the girls going to eat with us, or are you four going to eat alone?" I asked her. She thought about it for a bit and then raised a hand, indicating that I had to wait. She took out her phone and looked through it for a few seconds, before nodding to herself.

"We'll eat alone." I nodded.

"Well, I'll see you after lunch then." She nodded too, and we went to our cars. I drove to a nearby Burger King, where I knew that the guys would be waiting.

After ordering my food and receiving it, I walked over to the table the guys were sitting at. They all greeted me with an off-key chorus of hi, and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Hi." I sat down and looked at them, waiting for one of them—most likely Gar and/or Wally— to say something random. When it didn't happen, I looked up to see that all of them were staring at me, knowing smiles on their faces.

"Why are you all staring at me like that?" I asked, cautious.

"Dude, you're smiling." Wally said, smiling too.

"And that smile is one we haven't seen on you in years." Gar told me, grinning from ear to earlike the Cheshire cat.

"You're extremely happy, and we think we know why." Vic stated, eyebrows raised. He was smiling too, although it was slightly toned down.

I raised an eyebrow myself. "Oh, really? Then _please_ enlighten me, because clearly I don't know why _I'm_ happy." I said sarcastically.

They all ignored the tone in my voice. Instead, they said one word, in unison. I think they even planned this.

"Kori."

I shook my head and sighed. "Why do you all think I'm happy because of her?"

"Because it's been a few days since you met her, and now you're all cheerful." Wally said, as if stating the obvious. I sighed and shook my head at them.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but that's not the reason I'm happy." Wally and Gar looked confused, while Vic just shook his head.

"Man, don't try to fool me. You haven't smiled like that since she disappeared." I smiled wider. I looked at them all, and smiled even wider, if that's even possible.

"Dick, why're you smiling like that?" Gar asked. He looked creeped out, so I toned the smile down a bit and shook my head.

"Guys, Starfire is the reason I'm smiling." The grin was still on my face, and it grew.

"What?" Wally asked, confused.

I sighed and began to tell them on how I hired a private detective, Mike, to find Star when Bruce adopted me.

When I finished, I looked at them, and the expressions were varied. Gar was shocked, but had a look of awe. Wally was smirking, as if saying, 'I knew it.' And Vic was shaking his head.

"Dude, just get over her. She's gone." Vic said. He looked at me, his eyes begging me to let go. I shook my head and responded.

"No, she's not. Mike found her. She's alive, Vic. _Alive_." I looked at all of them, pleading with my eyes for them to believe me. Vic sighed and shook his head again. He stayed silent for a few minutes, and then finally he spoke.

"Okay, let's say she _is_ alive. Let's say she's _isn't_ dead. What if she doesn't remember you or any of us at all? What if she got her memory wiped and she doesn't remember her past?" He looked down, and then raised his head, looking me in the eye. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but what if she doesn't want you anymore? Always think of all the possibilities, man. Even if they're the ones we can't bear to think of. I mean, I miss the little lady and all, but you have to think of everything."

I shook my head. "Now you have _me_ sad." I sighed and looked at all of them. "Look, if you don't believe me, will you believe Mike and the information he has?"

I turned to Wally. He stayed silent for a bit, before nodding and saying, "I'm in." Satisfied, I turned to Gar.

"I want to find her as much as everyone else, so yeah. Me too." Gar told me. I smiled, and turned to the one who would be the hardest to convince.

He was looking at me, and we were looking at him. He finally sighed after about half a minute. "Okay, okay. I'm in." Wally and Gar cheered, and I just smiled at Vic, who returned the favor. When the cheering had stopped at last, I spoke up.

"Okay, tomorrow we are going to meet him at so he can show you three the information, alright?" They nodded. "Okay then. It's settled. Tomorrow we are meeting to talk to Mike."

"Dick, just don't get your hopes up, alright? It's been too long, and I'm not so sure things will turn out fine." Vic told me. He was worried, like the big brother he was.

"I know, believe me, I know." I sighed, and stood up. My food had been left untouched, and I asked for a bag to leave with it and eat it later.

"See you later guys," I said. They all said their goodbyes and went to their cars. I went to mine and drove back to work.

WAYNWAYNWAYNWAYN

When I got to the enterprises, I parked at my usual spot, and got out of my car. I walked to the front doors that led to the lobby and saw Kori about to get in. I called her, hoping she would wait for me, and she turned around. She smiled warmly once she spotted me, and I smiled back.

"Hello Richard. How was your lunch?" She asked. I shrugged and responded.

"It was good, although I didn't even get to eat my lunch." To prove it, I held up my Burger King bag. "How about your lunch?" I asked her.

"It went good, the girls are wonderful." She smiled. "Rachel and I are getting along great, which is good, considering what Karen and Jen told me. Karen, Jen, and I are already talking about the wedding." She smiled again.

Ah, Rae. Ever since Star disappeared, she began to be more cautious when it came to friends. She befriended Karen and Jenny because they were dating (and would soon be married to) two of her friends. She had no choice, as she told me once. From what I see now though, she doesn't think the same way anymore.

What surprised me though, was that she and Kori were friends already. Normally, Rae would've thought it over before being friends with someone, much less someone she just met. I shrugged mentally and decided that she had her reasons.

"Ah, the wedding. Who's going to be the lucky maid of honor?" I asked. She shrugged and said, "Jen hasn't decided yet. She said she'll tell us as soon as she chooses." I nodded, thinking about this. Jen hasn't picked her maid of honor yet, and Wally said he'll pick the best man when Jen chooses her maid of honor.

By the time we had stopped talking, we were already at the sixteenth floor. We walked over to my office, and I closed the door behind us. We got to work without any other comment.

The rest of the day passed by smoothly, much to my surprise. I made a few phone calls, went to two meetings, faxed some papers, and signed some documents, and it was then 5:00, time to go home. I began to put my things back in my desk and stood up. Kori was already ready to leave. She was sitting in her chair, waiting patiently for me to finish. I smiled at her ad gestured towards the door. "Shall we go home?" I asked her. She smiled slightly and nodded. We walked to our respective cars and went home.

The whole ride to the mansion, I was smiling. 'Star is alive,' I thought to myself, repeating it over and over like a chant in my head.

**Sorry it took SO long to get this out, but getting the important parts right was killing me. It just had to be PERFECT. No matter what. Also didn't help that my muse kept abandoning me, and I couldn't think of ways to finish this chappie. -_- Oh well. This chapter is out now, isn't it?  
>Looking back at the previews, I realize that instead of putting Kori's dream, I <strong>_**should've **_**put in Marie's dream. That way, it would've been harder to choose the POV for this chapter. *shrugs* Eh, I forgot. Oh well. Trust me, most of you would've chosen Kori's POV if I had put in Marie's dream. Ah, I'm evil.:)**

**I say this every time, and I mean it every time. PLEASE REVIEW! Comment on the story, ask me questions on it, give me feedback, give me constructive criticism, anything you want.:)**

**UNTIL NEXT TIME MY READERS!**

PS: PLEASE go check out the new one-shot I just made! It's a Jimmy Neutron fanfic, and I would appreciate it if you reviewed and told me whether or not to continue it.

THANKZ.


	8. Chapter 8

**EIGHT**

**READ THIS NOW!**

**Ok, go read chapter 7 before reading this. I replaced the previews with the actual chapter 7, so please go read it.:) Also, the reviews for the previews are also in chapter 7, so yeah.:)**

**Reviews(for last chapter's):**

**clarkLover1: Thanks, and yes, there will DEFINITELY be more drama.:)**

**Disclaimer: You know what? Just look at the disclaimer in the other chapter, and refer to it in the future. That's the solution to the problem.**

_Recap_

_And I did, but that doesn't mean I slept peacefully._

Chapter 7

I know I was dreaming. I just know it, because I have _very_ vivid dreams, and this is one of them. I just couldn't believe that my brain had thought this up.

I was in a magnificent ballroom with a gigantic glass dome as a roof. It was clear, and the cloudless, bright, night sky shined through. I looked around, and noticed the tables on the sides, making room for a dance floor. The tables had tablecloths that were the color of gold, while the chairs had golden colored frames and red velvet cushions. On the tables were the finest silverware I had ever seen in my life, and the best china, most likely new. I took in the whole room, and spotted a life-size mirror hanging on one of the walls. I walked over, and gasped at what I saw.

I was wearing a midnight blue one shoulder floor length dress, which hugged my every curve and fit me perfectly. I had on a silver charm bracelet on my left wrist, and there was a gorgeous teardrop shaped sapphire pendant on my neck. The necklace—which was embedded with little diamonds all around— wrapped itself around my neck securely, and it weighed quite a bit. My long hair was all piled on top of my head in a high, messy bun, and a few stray strands of 'black' hair fell out, framing my face.

I bit my lip, confused as to why I was dressed up like this, even in a dream, when someone called my name. I spun around to where the voice was coming from and my eyes widened in surprise.

"Kori?" Richard/Robin said.

He was standing across me, wearing a charcoal grey suit with a dress shirt that was midnight blue, matching my dress. His tie was black, tucked under his dress jacket. His hair was spiked up like when we were teenagers, but was toned down and was just slicked back slightly. His eyes shined with happiness, and he was smiling gently at me. His right arm was extended towards me, palm out, while his left arm was behind his back.

He extended his right arm a little more to signify that he was asking me to come over to him. I walked over to him, vaguely acknowledging that I had high heels on because I was still in shock about seeing him in my dream. I put my hand in his and he pulled me into his arms, catching me when I stumbled.

"Whoa there Kor. No need for falling." He laughed softly and pulled me into his arms once again. He then grasped my right hand in his and put his left arm on my waist, and we started to dance. We waltzed for who knows how long. For me it felt like an eternity, being with him again, even if it is a dream.

To soon though, he stopped us. I looked into his beautiful blue eyes as he leaned towards me. I held my breath, waiting for the moment I would feel his lips, but never did. He leaned away from me, muttering, "I can't. I still love Starfire."

The room and everything in it suddenly vanished, leaving me alone. I looked down to see that I now was wearing some simple blue skinny jeans, a light green short sleeved shirt, and some dark grey ballet flats. The room came into focus, and I figured out where I was immediately. I was looking at my first apartment after running away.

I saw myself at seventeen sitting on the old couch in my tiny living room, trying to calm a newborn Marie down enough so she could go to sleep. I was murmuring to her, singing her quiet lullabies and humming some classic piano melodies softly in her ear. She quieted down slowly but surely until she fell asleep, and my past self smiled. She kissed Marie's little forehead and walked to her nursery, putting her into her crib, and smiled down at her.

"Sleep well, my little angel." I noticed the accent, remembering that I still hadn't perfected my English yet at the time. Then everything faded to black once again.

Then I woke up.

I sat up in bed, eyes wide. After calming myself down with many deep breaths, I looked at the clock on my bedside table. It was 5:38 in the morning, and I woke up at 6:00. I groaned and got up, heading for the bathroom to take a shower.

After getting dressed and putting my hair up to dry, I walked over to Marie's room. I listened for any noise before opening the door, and when I didn't hear anything, I opened it.

What I found was Marie curled up in her bed, fast asleep. I smiled, looking down at my little angel. She had a peaceful expression on her face, and she smiled slightly. I smiled myself and sat down on her bed, close to her. Her hair was spread out on her pillow, and a few stray locks of her hair were on her face. I gently took those strands away from her face and caressed her cheek. She was my little baby girl, my beautiful daughter.

I didn't want to wake her up, since she looked so relaxed, but I had to. She had to go to the daycare, and I had to go to work. "Marie, Marie, wake up sweetie." She began to stir, and slowly, she opened her eyes. She smiled once she saw me and stretched her arms. She yawned and sat up in her bed.

"Hi mommy," she told me. I smiled again.

"Hi baby. Did you sleep well?"

She was suddenly wide awake, her eyes going wide with excitement. "Mommy, guess what!" she asked me, delighted by something.

"What Marie?" I asked, curious as to why she was suddenly enthusiastic.

"I dreamed of daddy!" she squealed.

'Oh no,' I thought. I shook my head and exhaled.

"Are you sure it was your daddy, honey?" I asked. She had probably dreamt of someone who she thought perfect to be her father, that's all.

She nodded vigorously. "Yes mommy."

"Ok then. What did your daddy look like?" 'Please don't say blue eyes and black hair; _please_ don't say blue eyes and black hair,' I thought desperately.

She thought for a minute, then said, "He had black hair and blue eyes mommy."

Well, then. It was settled. She had dreamt of Robin. I sighed and put on a smile. "What was the dream about, sweetie?" I asked. My curiosity got the better of me this time.

She then began talking rapidly, and I somehow managed to understand everything. "Daddy took me to the park for a picnic, and then I went to play, and then he bought us ice cream, and then I wanted a puppy so he got me a puppy that I named Princess, and then I played with Princess at the park, and then we went home and you and daddy hugged and kissed, and then my dream ended." She said excitedly.

Now I was surprised. Partly because she said all of that without stopping to breathe, partly because now I know she has vivid dreams like I do, and partly because she knew what her dad looked like, whether she actually knew it or not. Now, if they met, she would automatically know Richard was her father.

'Can my life get any more complicated?' I asked myself. It was like the universe is against me. I sighed and looked at Marie. She was clueless, just an innocent three year old who believes she dreamt of her father, and actually did.

"Okay Marie. Time to get dressed." I got up from sitting on her bed and smiled at her. She sprang up from her bed and ran to her drawers. She came out a while later holding a pink shirt that said 'angel' and some light blue capris. I nodded my approval, and left the room, knowing that Marie wanted her privacy to get dressed.

A few minutes later, she came out ready to leave. I collected my things and we left the apartment.

WAYNWAYNWAYNWAYN

After leaving the house, I drove us to a diner that was down the street. I always used to go eat there when I was pregnant with Marie, and I was friends with everyone there. After Marie was born, I began bringing her too, and now everyone there loves her.

I parked close to the diner and got out. I helped Marie out of her seat and we walked over to the front doors. As soon as we walked in, I heard some waitresses near us say, "Hi Kori and Marie."

I smiled and said, "Hi everyone." Marie smiled widely at all of them and said hi too, but louder. I shook my head, smiling at how my daughter acted.

We were quickly seated at a booth, and one of the waitresses that I first met when I came here came up to us. Her name was Marlyn, and she was one of the waitresses who would bring me extra mustard when I would come, and still does. I smiled at her as she reached our table.

"Hey Kori," she told me, hugging me. "Hi, you little cutie." She hugged Marie too, and both the comment and the hug made her giggle as she returned it. Marlyn straightened herself and got her notepad out. "So, what will you two want to drink today?" she asked us.

"Hi Marlyn, and I'll have a decaf." I said, smiling at her again. She nodded and wrote it down.

"And what'll you have, Marie?" she asked her. Marie thought about it for a moment before replying.

"Apple juice please," she told Marlyn. She nodded again and wrote that down too.

"You taught her well, huh?" she told me, referring to Marie's manners. Laughing, I nodded. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your drinks, alright?" She told us. We both nodded and she left.

Our drinks came back a few minutes later, just like we were promised. I ordered a vegetable omelet—with mustard on the side— and Marie ordered the kid's spaghetti. We ate slowly, since it was _way_ too early for me to go to work or for Marie to go to her daycare. The last time I had checked my phone—which had been a few seconds before— it had been 7:56.

I knew we couldn't stay there until it was 9:00, though. Close to 8:30, Marie and I stood up and we walked over to the front desk to pay. There, I was greeted by the manager, Samantha, or Sam. She smiled once she saw us.

"Hi guys. I take it you two enjoyed your breakfast?" she asked us. I nodded.

"Like always Sammie." I smiled at her and paid for everything, and we said our goodbyes.

I drove Marie and me to the park where we would stay for about half an hour, and then we would go. Marie ran to the sandbox immediately after getting out of the car, and I walked behind her, keeping an eye on her. I sat on a bench close by and pulled out my old iPod. I plugged in the earphones and turned it on. I randomly picked a song, and relaxed. The song had been a classical song, so I settled myself better on the bench and looked out for Marie.

What felt like minutes later, my phone started vibrating. I picked it up and noticed that it was time to go.

"Marie! It's time to go!" She stopped playing and ran over to me, hyper yet again.

"Ok mommy." She giggled and skipped to the car. Curious, I walked behind her.

"Marie," I asked her. She turned around, clearly happy. "Why are you happy honey?"

She giggled again. "This is where daddy took me in my dream, mommy!" She said happily.

'Yup, she had vivid dreams like me,' I thought. "Really sweetie?" I asked her.

She nodded quickly. "Yes mommy." She smiled at me.

I got her in her seat and we were soon off to Sunnyville Daycare. After getting Marie out of her seat, saying goodbye to Marie, Jessica, and everyone else, I was driving to work. The whole time I was dropping off Marie, I wasn't paying attention. I was thinking of my dream, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. What did it mean, when Richard appeared, and when I saw myself as a new mother?

I shook my head, not wanting to think of it anymore. I had to concentrate on work, and work only.

I arrived at Wayne Enterprises and parked my car in a spot close to the door. I said good morning to everyone I saw and soon I was in front of Richard's office. I took a deep breath and walked in. I smiled at him and sat down in my own chair. He smiled back and looked at the papers in front of him until I spoke up.

"Hello and good morning Richard. I'm sorry that I had to leave on my first day, but my daughter got into trouble and I had to pick her up. I didn't have a babysitter available, so I had to stay with her. It won't happen again today, I assure you." I told him.

He smiled. "Hello and good morning to you too Kori. It's fine, and from what you told me yesterday, she's a handful. I don't mind at all that you have to pick her up, actually, so it's ok."

I smiled gratefully. I then motioned to all the papers on both our desks. "I think we should start working, don't you think?" I said with another smile.

He chuckled and nodded. We both started on our work, and I lost track of the time. I guess he did too, since he looked _very_ concentrated on his work. Not that I was looking or anything.

Apparently, I focused on the work myself, because I had to have my name called.

"Kori?"

I looked up, my eyes wide. Richard had called me, just like in my dream. He looked confused, but either way continued. "It's lunch time." I blinked for a second. I looked at my phone, which I had next to me, and nodded after checking the time. I got up, stretched, and picked up my things.

"Kori?" I looked up again. I wasn't surprised anymore, but either way, I wasn't expecting it. "Do you want to come to eat lunch with me and some of my friends? Since you're new, I think it'd be good. There will also be my friend's wives/girlfriends there, so you won't be alone. How about it?" He asked. I thought about it, wondering if it would be good or not, and in the end I nodded.

"Ok. I'll go." He smiled at me, and then gestured to the door.

"Let us leave, then." I smiled at that comment, and we left the office.

I knew there would be talk about us, as soon as I accepted the job. Humans just adored gossip, and this is something I knew they wouldn't be able to resist. That's why I was expecting all the whispers that had started as soon as everyone noticed Richard and I walking together out of the office. I tried to not pay attention to them, but it proved hard, since most of them were about the possibility that we were dating. I _really_ wished that were true, but it sadly isn't, and I have to suck it up and smile.

We approached the parking lot and he said, "Let's go in my car. I'll take you to where my friends and I eat." I nodded, and he walked us over to his car. We got in, and he sent a text to someone, and then put his phone back in his jacket. I don't know how he does that, but I guess he has pockets or something.

He started the car and began to drive. It was silent the whole way, and it gave me time to think. Now that I wasn't working, I could focus back on my dream. Now that I think about it, I kind of get why I dreamt that. I saw Robin again, as a different person, and because I know that he doesn't know who I actually am, I'm afraid of what will happen if he falls in love with Kori. I bit my lip and stared out the window, watching everything pass by us.

Although he thought I didn't know where we were going, I had a pretty good idea. My predictions were confirmed when he parked on the side of the road, across from the place where Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, Robin, and I would go eat often. The Pizza Place. I allowed myself a small smile as I got out of the car. We walked inside, and ordered our pizzas. Robin chose the simple pepperoni, while I choose the combo. I was tempted to tale out some mustard packets that I had on me at the moment, but thought better of it. It would be too obvious, and he'd figure it out.

We walked up to the second floor, and approached the table the Teen Titans would always sit at. There were now more chairs for more people, but nonetheless, it was still the same. I had to hold back a gasp of surprise when I saw who was sitting on that table. They turned to us, and I saw them all.

Beast Boy, Raven, Bumblebee, Kid Flash, Cyborg, and Jinx. I carefully kept my face from showing any emotion besides friendliness as they all looked at me.

"Hi guys. This is Kori Anders. She's new to the city, so I thought I'd invite her to come eat with us so she'd meet new people." Richard/Robin said. I saw from the corner of my eye that Cyborg, Kid Flash, and Beast Boy wagged their eyebrows at Richard, who just rolled his eyes.

Richard turned to me. "Ok, so Kori, meet Garfield and Rachel Logan," Beast Boy and Raven. They got married. Who knew? "Victor and Karen Stone," Cyborg and Bumblebee. "Wally West, and Jennifer Terrington." Kid Flash and Jinx.

I waved to all of them and said, "It's nice meeting you all."

"It's nice meeting you too, Kori," Karen/Bumblebee told me. We smiled at each other.

"Why don't we sit down instead of standing around? I'd like to eat my pizza." Richard/Robin suddenly said. I nodded and we sat down. Just when we were about to eat our pizzas though, Wally and Jenny stood up.

"We have an announcement to make," She said. Everyone looked at them. Jenny took a deep breath and raised her left hand, showing a ring on her ring finger, and said, "Wally and I are getting married!"

I immediately went to her hand to examine the ring, and Karen did the same thing.

"It's just so beautiful, Jen! Congrats!" Karen all but squealed to Jenny. She smiled and looked down at the ring.

"Thanks."

"I agree. It's breathtaking!" I said. Jenny turned to me and smiled also.

"Thanks Kori." She told me. I returned the smile.

"No problem." Karen suddenly stood up, dragging everyone up with her. She hugged Jenny, congratulating her again. I hugged her next, and I murmured a word of congrats also. She just hugged me tighter.

Then Rachel/Raven came over and hugged Jenny too. Once they broke apart, Rachel asked, "So, who's going to be the maid of honor?"

Jenny shrugged. "I don't know yet. He just proposed yesterday afternoon, I didn't think about that until now."

"Well, now you have time to think about it." Rachel paused for a second. "What do you have planned for the wedding?"

Jenny thought about it for a bit, before finally nodding. "Yeah, now that I'm thinking about it."

"Well? Tell us!" Karen said. We all sat down close together so we could talk. Jenny was in the middle, I was on her left side, Karen on her right, and Rachel on Karen's right.

"I'm thinking of a slightly extravagant wedding, not that big, but not small either." She thought more, and then said, "And I want my bouquet to have purple and yellow flowers." She looked at us. "Is that weird?"

Karen and I quickly assured her that it wasn't, with Rachel to occasionally commenting, helping us reassure Jenny.

"Ok, y'all. Let's sit down and enjoy our food, since we have to go to work after." I heard Victor/Cyborg say. The guys sat down, and even though I tried not to listen in, I couldn't resist.

"Dick, what do you think of her? She's pretty beautiful, and just what you need." Wally/Kid Flash whispered. I heard Richard sigh.

"You three are never going to leave me alone, huh?" Richard sighed again.

"Guys, she's just a friend. I just met her yesterday, and there is no way I'm dating someone right now or in the near future." He whispered back. All three sighed too.

"Let's just eat our pizzas, because we need to get back to work after this." Richard told them quietly. Apparently, they all agreed, because they began to eat.

The rest of lunch went by smoothly. Karen and I talked to Jenny about her wedding, with Rachel commenting every now and then. I heard Victor and Garfield/Beast Boy arguing over what they always did— vegetarians versus carnivores. I smiled at that. Things were still the same. Wally and Richard were talking about their work, and how they were doing. That made me smile also. It was nice to know that Richard hadn't stopped talking to people after I left.

By the time lunch ended, I already had a spot to be one the bridesmaids, as well as Karen and Rachel, and Karen and I had helped Jenny sort out the small details for her wedding. Karen, Jenny, Rachel, and I had decided we'd eat just the four of us tomorrow for lunch, and we just needed to tell the people across us.

"Well, it's time to go back to work." Richard said, standing up. Garfield and Wally groaned, and Victor, Karen, Rachel, and I stood up too.

"Yeah, I think it's time to go back. Come on Wally, get up." Wally did as Jenny said, and brushed off the crumbs on his shirt.

Garfield also stood up and we all started to say our goodbyes. I hugged and said goodbye to Karen, Rae, and Jenny, and then waved to Gar, Vic and Wally.

"It was a pleasure meeting all of you. When you're new and don't go out much, it's hard to meet people." I told everyone with a smile. They all smiled back and nodded.

"The pleasure was ours, Kori. I think it's good I met you today, since now I have enough bridesmaids." Jenny said, smiling.

I smiled back. "Yeah it is, isn't it? I'm glad I met you too, since now I know more people. And knowing more people is better than not knowing anyone." Jenny nodded at that, and Rachel came over to her.

"I agree with Jennifer, it was great meeting you today. I hope to see you soon." She smiled at me, and then turned to Richard. "Right, Dick?"

He shrugged. "If Kori wants to come, then ok. You have to ask her, not me." Rachel smiled and told me, "That's what I wanted to hear. We already talked it over and yes, she's coming to eat with us every day at lunch." I nodded.

"With just you girls or all of us as a group?" Garfield asked her.

"Both. She'll eat with us, and when you four manage to ask us, we'll eat all together." Rachel answered him, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, how about this, from now on, we all eat together. When you four," Victor motioned to us, "want to eat without us," he gestured to them, "just tell us, and we'll be set. Sounds like a plan?" We all nodded, and after saying goodbye again, we went our separate ways to get back to work. While walking to the car, I started up a conversation to prevent any awkward silences.

"Thank you for this. The only people I know here are the ones that work at Marie's daycare and the waitresses at a diner close to my apartment. It was nice to meet new people, because everyone needs a social life." I smiled at saying this, and I noticed that he smiled too. We were already in the car, and he started up the engine.

"It's fine. I knew you'd get along with them. They're all very friendly and welcoming, especially Karen and Jen. The guys are goofballs, they always have been, but they actually have a serious side, believe it or not. Rachel, she's very quiet, but a good friend. All in all, they're good people." Richard told me. I nodded.

We drove back to Wayne Enterprises, the whole time talking to each other. When we got back, we went up to the sixteenth floor, still conversing. We ignored everyone around us, who were gossiping again.

We sat down in our respectful desks after shutting the door to the office, and got down to work again.

WAYNWAYNWAYNWAYN

I looked at my phone a while later to find out that there was less than a minute left to go home. I began packing up my belongings, putting them back in my handbag, and I stood up. I looked up to see that Richard was doing the same thing.

"Well, it's time to go home, huh?" He said. I nodded and stretched a little.

"Yup. Time to go home and relax for a little while." I smiled.

'With Marie, though, there is no rest,' I thought.

We walked to the elevator in comfortable silence, and when we reached the parking lot, we said goodbye and went our separate ways. I went to Jessica's house, since we made an agreement that when the daycare hours were over, she would watch over her until I came for her at five.

I arrived and rang the doorbell. After a few seconds and after hearing a bit of shuffling, the door opened, and Jessica appeared. She put a finger over her mouth, and I knew that Marie was asleep. I smiled and followed her to the living room, where I saw my little girl curled up on the couch, fast asleep.

I smiled tenderly and mouthed a thank you to Jess, who in turn smiled and nodded. I picked up Marie as quietly as I could, careful to not wake her, and carried her over to the car. I carefully put the safety belts on her and closed the door as quietly as possible. I turned to Jess, who was standing close to the car.

"Thank you for taking care of her while I was at work Jess," I said gratefully.

She waved it off. "No problem Kori. Marie wasn't a big worry, actually. She was quiet, obedient, and when I turned on the TV for her, she asked me if she could watch a Batman movie. After finding it on Netflix for her, she sat on the couch and watched it until she fell asleep. Then you came in." She smiled at me.

I sighed, relieved. "So she didn't jump around or run around the house at all?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nope. I made sure not to give her any sugar, just like you told me." She smiled again. I hugged her.

"Thanks again Jess." I told her.

"Don't mention it, Kori." She smiled again. "Now go home, because I think Marie would like to sleep in her bed and you too." I nodded and waved goodbye as I drove away from her house.

When we arrived at the apartment, I carried Marie over to the door. When I was walking into the living room, she woke up. She looked confused, but when she saw me, she smiled sleepily.

"Hi mommy," she said. I smiled down at her.

"Hi baby. Ready to go to sleep?" I asked her. She nodded, and I put her down on the floor. I walked over to the kitchen, Marie close behind me. I pulled out two bowls and spoons. Then I took out the cereal and milk. I served us both and we ate while watching some cartoons in the living room. When we were done, I put the bowls in the sink, turned off the TV and stood up.

"Come on Marie. Let's go get your bath ready," I told her. She got up also and we walked over to the bathroom. While I prepared her bath, she brushed her teeth. After the bath and getting dressed in her PJ's, I tucked her in for the night. I kissed her forehead and smiled.

"Good night baby," I said softly. Marie was already falling asleep, her eyes closing and then opening, trying to stay awake. She smiled sleepily at me.

"Night mommy." She closed her eyes and was asleep in less than a minute. I smiled fondly at her and left the room, turning on the nightlight on my way out.

I brushed my teeth myself and took a shower, letting the water calm me. I began relaxing and I almost fell asleep in the shower. I got out and dressed in the tank top and sweat pants I used for pajamas. I went under the covers and tried to forget all the events that happened today so I could at least _try_ to sleep peacefully.

**There it is! I hope you liked this, because I made it longer than usual for you guys.:) Sorry for not updating sooner, but the end of the year, finals, and stress didn't leave time for me to write this chapter. But It's out!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! That's all I ask.**

PS: PLEASE go check out my Jimmy Neutron fanfic, "What Hurts The Most." It's angsty, dramatic, and there's romance too!Lol.:D

**BYEZ PEOPLEZ! UNTIL NEXT CHAPTER!**


	9. Chapter 9

**NINE.**

**Hey there people! I'm back! I won't write a humongous author's note today because I really don't feel like doing one. But I will respond to reviews!:)**

**Reviews:**

**clarkLover1****: Thanks.:) I tried to make everything in that chapter cute because Marie was in there.:)  
><strong>**hey- wazup- stalker****: Thanks a lot!:) And I will!:)  
>FROM CH. 7:<strong>

**robstar591****: Done done done done done.:) I'm SO sorry for not replying to review last chapter, but I had too much on my mind. I'm incredibly sorry again.:(**

**Disclaimer: I've already said it enough. I will NOT say it again. Don't rub the fact that I don't own it in my face.  
>*facepalm* I said it. -_-<br>That was smart of me.**

**READ ON!**

Chapter 9

The next morning, I woke up to Marie Shaking me repeatedly. I groaned but nevertheless sat up and looked at the clock I had on my bedside table. It read 5:49 and I suppressed another groan. I looked to Marie, who was already dressed in some blue shorts and a yellow shirt.

"Come on mommy! Let's eat breakfast!" she squealed, running out the open door of my bedroom and most likely to the kitchen. I shook my head and chuckled under my breath. I put on some slippers and walked to the kitchen, where I found Marie sitting at the kitchen table, grinning. In front of her were two plates that had uncooked eggs, microwaved bacon, and toast.

I smiled at her and went over to her. I ruffled her hair and sat down next to her. "I made breakfast mommy!" she said excitedly. I smiled again and hugged her.

"Honey, thank you, but how about we make breakfast together? If you help me you get pancakes." I told her, knowing that she wouldn't be able to resist pancakes.

She looked hurt and said, "You don't like it?"

I immediately felt guilty. "No, no honey! It's not that. I love that you made breakfast." Her face lit up. "But you need to cook the eggs and bacon sweetie. That's all." I told her, smiling softly.

She looked confused and gestured to the food. "I didn't know how to cook the eggs, but I put the bacon in the micro mommy," she said, referring to the microwave.

"Honey, you need to cook the eggs and the bacon on the stove," I said, standing up. I got two pans and put some vegetable oil in one, leaving the other alone. I put both pans on the stove and lit the burners, adjusting the temperature. I knew Marie was somewhere near me, her eyes watching my every move.

I put a bit of salt in one of them and cracked open three eggs that Marie had left on the plates, putting them in. I took the bacon that Marie had microwaved and put it in the oil less pan and let it simmer while I mixed up the eggs. Once the eggs were done I put all my concentration on the bacon, which was almost done also.

Soon, the eggs and bacon were cooked and ready to be eaten. I looked up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was 6:27. I turned to the bacon and eggs and put them aside, taking out another pan. I set to work on making the pancakes.

Around half an hour later, the food was done and we began eating. Then I ordered Marie to her room to change into another shirt, since she had stained it with some orange juice she had been drinking. I myself went to take a quick shower and dressed in some black slacks and a light blue button up shirt. I put on some black flats and put my hair up in a bun, and I was ready to go. I walked to Marie's room and saw that she was coloring in one of her coloring books. She put the crayons down when she saw me and stood up.

"Ready to go, Marie?" I asked. She nodded and smiled happily. I nodded also, the infectious grin settling on my face, and I went to the front door. "Then let's go."

When we arrived at the daycare, Selena welcomed me in.

"Hey Kori and Marie," she said, smiling. I smiled back and watched as Marie ran to the toys.

"Hey Sel. I'll leave Marie to you now. Good luck." I smiled at her again, and she laughed, nodding.

"Thanks," she said, still laughing slightly. "And good luck to you too." I nodded and smiled once more.

"Thanks to you too." I signed some papers to confirm that I had dropped Marie off and hugged Selena. "I'll see you later Sel. Oh, and remember that Marie can only eat fruit and drink water. I don't think you guys want Marie hyper again." Selena giggled lightly and nodded.

"Ok Kori. Bye!" I waved at her and drove away to work. I saw that it was close to nine and sighed in relief. I wasn't going to be late. I parked my car and walked up to the sixteenth floor, all the while humming quietly to myself.

I opened the door and sat down, noticing that Richard was already here. Once he looked up from his work, I smiled at him, and he smiled back

"Hello Kori," he said, still smiling. I cocked my head to the side in confusion, but didn't say anything. Instead, I smiled and nodded politely.

"Hello Richard. May I ask why you're happy today?" I asked. His smile was unwavering, and I wondered intensely what made him _this_ happy.

"I was told some very good news this morning, that all," he said, smiling even wider, if possible.

I nodded, although the curiosity was gnawing at me, and spoke. "Ah, ok." I smiled, and gestured to his desk. "I see you're already working, so I won't disturb you." I took out my papers and began to work too. I saw him smile still and turn to his work.

WAYNWAYNWAYNWAYN

The whole morning had been relatively quiet. There was a comment or question every once in a while though.

Lunchtime came around, and I stood up. Richard did the same thing, and we walked out the door together, just like we had yesterday.

The ride down the elevator and to the parking lot was spent in comfortable silence, for which I was grateful because I just didn't have anything to say at the moment. As soon as we reached the parking lot, he turned to face me.

"Are you and the girls going to eat with us, or are you four going to eat alone?" He asked me. I thought for a bit, then raised a hand, signifying that I was going to take a bit of time to answer. I took out my phone and looked at the recent texts from Karen, before nodding.

"We'll eat alone." I said. He nodded.

"Well, I'll see you after lunch then." I nodded again, and we went to our cars. I got in mine and looked at my phone again.

**From: Karen  
>Kori, we're going 2 go eat In-N-Out, kay? We'll see u there.<strong>

I sent a quick text to Karen back.

**To: Karen  
>K, b there in a few min.<strong>

I began the drive to the burger restaurant, all the while listening to some music from the radio and humming along occasionally. Soon, I arrived and I got out. I ordered a number two and once I had my food I searched for Karen, Jenny, and Rachel. I found them sitting at a table close to the window. I sat down next to Jenny and in front of Karen, who was sitting next to Rachel. I smiled at all three of them.

"Hi," I said, smiling at them. They replied back and we began eating, with a comment now and then about the wedding. When we were done, we left and went to the park, since we had finished early.

"You know Kori, you're pretty nice," Rachel suddenly said, walking along side me. I looked at her, a little surprised, but then I smiled.

"Well thank you Rachel. I think you're incredibly nice." She nodded, taking the compliment.

"Thank you." We walked in comfortable silence for some minutes. I smiled when we walked past the playground, and Rachel noticed.

"You like kids Kori?" Rachel asked me quietly so neither Karen nor Jenny could hear her. Both were already ahead of us, but they could easily listen in. I looked to her and nodded, smiling softly.

I thought whether or not I should tell her about Marie. After thinking for some seconds, I decided to tell her. They would meet her at the wedding, anyways. This way, they wouldn't ask questions when I came with a little girl.

"Yeah, I do. I actually have a three year old daughter," I told her with a smile on my face. She looked a little surprised, and then nodded.

Her expression became curious. "What's her name?" she questioned. I smiled again.

"Marie." She nodded again. She stayed quiet for a few seconds, and then spoke again.

"Good name. Dick wants to name his daughter that," she told me. I nodded.

"Yes, Richard told me that when I told him what Marie's name was." She nodded again, and we walked in silence for a moment until I heard Jenny's voice.

"Who is this 'Marie'?" she asked, looking back at us. She and Karen stopped and waited for us to catch up, and she looked at both of us, waiting for an answer. Rachel sighed.

"You know Jen, it's not good to eavesdrop." Rachel told her, raising an eyebrow. Jenny laughed and shook her head.

"Oh, I know, but this time I couldn't resist. Come on, tell us," she said. Karen looked intrigued too, and I sighed and gave in.

"Marie is my daughter," I said. Karen and Jenny looked at me, surprised. Rachel and I looked at their bewildered expressions, amused, and we watched as their surprise wore off.

"Really Kori? You have a daughter?" Jenny asked me. I nodded. She took the information in and looked in thought. Karen smiled at me, and I smiled back.

"How old is she?" Jenny asked me again.

"She's three, and turning four this August," I replied. They stayed silent for a few moments, until Karen spoke up, looking at me.

"Can we meet her?" she asked. All three looked at me, waiting for my answer. I smiled at them and nodded.

"Of course. She loves meeting new people." I smiled at all of them as they returned it.

"That's even better. Now I have a flower girl," Jenny said, smiling. I giggled and nodded.

"Yes you do. And Marie loves being the center of attention, no matter how long the moment is, so it's perfect." Jenny laughed too.

"As long as I'm the center of attention after her, I'm fine." She replied, smiling widely. I returned the smile and my phone began vibrating again, so I took it out. My alarm to go back to work had gone off.

I put it back in my pocket and said, "Time to go to work." They all nodded and we walked back to the parking lot.

"When can we meet Marie?" Rachel asked. I thought about it for a bit. What would be a good time? Before work? Maybe, but I'm not so sure about it. During work? No, not at that time. After work? No, I'd be too tired, and Marie would be too.

Then it hit me. This weekend. It would be perfect. I would take her to the park, tell Rachel, Jenny, and Karen to meet us there, and done. I smiled to myself and turned to them.

"This Saturday. Can you guys be here in the morning, around nine? Marie and I will be here kind of early, since she's an early bird." I chuckled as I remembered all the mornings I'd get waken up by Marie shaking me.

Rachel nodded. "Yes, I'll be here at that time. I rise early too."

Jenny nodded too. "I'm _not_ an early riser, but I'll set my alarm." She smiled at me, and I smiled back.

"I'll be here. I wake up early too," Karen said. I nodded to all of them.

"Then it's settled. We meet here early on Saturday." They nodded too, and we said our goodbyes and drove back to work.

After parking my car, I began to walk towards the lobby. I heard my name being called behind me, and I turned around to see Richard catching up to me. I smiled at him when I saw him and he smiled back

"Hello Richard. How was your lunch?" I asked.

He shrugged. "It was good, although I didn't even get to eat my lunch." He held up a Burger King bag as proof. "How about your lunch?" he asked me.

"It went good, the girls are wonderful." I smiled. "Rachel and I are getting along great, which is good, considering what Karen and Jen told me. Karen, Jen, and I are already talking about the wedding."

He looked miles away for a few seconds, and I let him get lost in thought. He then looked at me and responded.

"Ah, the wedding. Who's going to be the lucky maid of honor?" He asked.

I shrugged and said, "Jen hasn't decided yet. She said she'll tell us as soon as she chooses." He nodded and started thinking again.

I smiled softly, knowing he wouldn't see me. This was one of the things I had loved about him when we were young. I loved how lost he could get in his own thoughts, and when he did, he never noticed anything around him. Of course, this was a bad thing most of the time, but when we weren't in danger or under attack, it was amusing and entertaining. Apparently, he still did it, and I just found it adorable about him.

By then, we had already arrived. Richard closed the door after we had gone in and we got to work immediately.

The day passed by smoothly, with a few meetings, papers, and phone calls in between. By the time 5:00 came I was more than ready to go home.

I put my things away and sat comfortably in my chair. I waited for Richard to finish putting his things away, and then he looked up. He saw that I was ready to go, and smiled. He gestured towards the door.

"Shall we go home?" he asked. I smiled faintly and nodded. After saying goodbye at the parking lot, we left for home.

WAYNWAYNWAYNWAYN

After picking up Marie from Jessica's and thanking her profusely, I drove home with a tired daughter. I gave her some cereal, made her brush her teeth and take a bath, and she was asleep as soon as her little head hit the pillow. I smiled fondly at her once she was tucked in bed and kissed her cheek. I turned on her nightlight in her room and closed the door softly on my way out.

After my own dinner, bath, and personal hygiene, I slipped into my bed and closed my eyes, smiling. Today was a good day, and I _really_ hope that Saturday turns out well.

**I know, I know, no big cliffie.(That you know of…):P**

**~*[[[**Ok, if anyone's confused on how the days have gone by for this story, the 1st- 5th chapters are Monday(that's a lot…). Chapters 6 and 8 are Tuesday, and chapters 7 and this one *points up* are Wednesday. If anyone's confused, just leave it in a review, and I'll answer it in the A/N.**]]]*~**

**Sooo yeah. PLEASE review this chapter and PLEASE go check out my Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius fanfic. It would help a LOT if I got some reviews for it.:)**

**GOODBYE!(for now)**


	10. Chapter 10

**TEN**

**AAAAAAND I'M BACK!:D  
>Lol, here is chapter ten. I have just one announcement, and then I'll begin the review responses:<strong>

**ALL YOU PEOPLE ARE AWESOME! I LOVE YOU!  
>Seriously, all those reviews this story gets, all the people who have added this to their alerts andor favorites, it's just so amazing! You people are the best! Also the people that just read, thank you for taking the time to just look at this. It means a TON to me, and I appreciate it a LOT.**

**Ok, time for reviews.:)**

**Yum3213****: :) Thanks and here it is.  
><strong>**EnergeticLove****: Aw, thank you.:) Here is the next update.  
><strong>**robstarfan723****: Thank you and here it is.:)  
><strong>**clarkLover1****: Thanks and here ya go.:)  
><strong>**Hey-wazup-stalker****: Thanks and don't worry. One of them is going to figure it out soon. Can't tell you who though.*evil smile*  
><strong>**guest#1****: Thank you.:)  
><strong>**guest#2****: Thank you and that's exactly what I was thinking of when I wrote that. I want a guy like that too.:D  
><strong>**guest#3****: Thanks.:)  
><strong>**guest#4****: Why thank you.:)  
><strong>**guest#5****: THNX.:D  
><strong>**guest#6****: I'm glad it still is awesome.:)  
><strong>**guest#7****: Yup she is.:)  
><strong>**guest#8****: Haha, thank you.:) I'm thinking of it, but I'm not completely sure.  
><strong>**justarandomguest****: Thank you, thank you.:) Haha, I'm glad the cliffie actually worked.:D  
><strong>**BlondeBunnyBoo****: Aw, thank you.:) Here's the next chapter for ya.:)  
><strong>**I'm Not A Princess****: Thank you and here's the next one.:)  
><strong>**SparkleStar101****: Lol, thank you, and trust me when I say that when Marie meets Robin, it's going to be **_**very**_** interesting.:D  
><strong>**Artemis west****: Here is the next chapter, so no more waiting for now.:)  
><strong>**Artemis west****: Aw, thank you! Yeah, I'll try to update as soon as I can, but they're both going to take a while. Sorry. :/  
>And that's all the reviews I got. I have a feeling that the guests are one person. What do you think?<br>Hm…**

**Lol, continue on and read this chapter, since I know that you all are probably just dying to read it.:)**

**Disclaimer: ME NO OWN. PERIOD.**

Chapter 10

Thursday and Friday passed by quickly, the daily routine of the workday turning normal. Get up, get dressed, drive Marie to her daycare, drive to work, work, pick up Marie at five, go home, sleep, and the cycle repeats again the next day. I actually kind of enjoy it, although I know the reason why is because I get to see Richard almost every day. It's kind of an addiction now, seeing him. But I just can't help it. Four years without seeing him and now I have the opportunity of seeing him daily? I wouldn't even think twice about it.

Finally, Saturday arrives. I wake up early, staring at my clock, which read 6:27. I groan, since I had wanted to wake up later, but heave myself out of bed and take a shower. After getting out, I got dressed in some light blue skinny jeans and a green short sleeved V-neck shirt with dark grey ballet flats.

I walked over to Marie's room and saw that she wasn't there. I momentarily panicked and walked as fast as possible to the living room. There, Marie was curled up on the sofa, watching old cartoon reruns. Next to her was an empty bowl of cereal and she had the spoon in her mouth. She looked up and smiled once she saw me, and I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Hi mommy!" she said, putting the spoon in the bowl and jumping up and down on the sofa. I smiled back and sat down next to her.

"Hi baby. Ready to get dressed?" I asked her. On Thursday, I told her that we would be meeting some of my friends at the park Saturday, and ever since she's been ecstatic for the day to come faster. I had also told her about the upcoming wedding and that she would be flower girl, and her eagerness for the weekend grew even more.

She nodded furiously, and ran to her room. I chuckled and followed her. "Ah, ah! Go wash your teeth before!" I called, and I saw a blur of black hair run into the bathroom. I giggled and went to pick up Marie's bowl. I had some cereal myself, and waited for Marie to get dressed. She came out minutes later dressed in a light pink shirt that read, "Not spoiled. Just appreciated," in glittering purple letters and dark blue capris.

Marie began bouncing up and down and giggling with her excitement. "Mommy, can we go to the park now?" she asked me, her bright green eyes shining at me. I smiled and nodded.

"Let me brush my teeth and get my things, okay?" I told her before she could bounce out the door. She nodded and skipped over to the sofa, turning on the TV to watch more cartoons. I giggled at her actions and gathered my things to put them in my handbag. I brushed my teeth as fast as I could and went to the living room. Marie was already at the door, waiting for me. She must've heard me coming. I smiled at her and opened the door, watching my playful little girl skip down the stairs and wait for me at the bottom.

I chuckled again and followed. As soon as I was reaching the bottom step, she ran to the car and stood in front of the door of the backseat. I reached her and opened the car, and she jumped inside. I smiled and got in myself.

"Someone's excited," I said, looking through the rearview mirror and smiling. Marie smiled back and nodded excitedly. I laughed and started up the car.

A few minutes later we had arrived at the park, and Marie immediately ran for the playground. I walked behind her and kept an eye out for her, all the while looking for Rachel, Jenny, and Karen. I sat down in a bench close to the playground and looked around for them. A few seconds later, I saw their three cars pull in and park. I smiled and stood up, waiting for them to get out.

Rachel came out first, and she leaned on her car, waiting for Jenny and Karen to get out. Karen came out next, and she too leaned on her car and waited. Finally, Jenny appeared. They all walked into the park together, and I called Marie over to me.

"Yes mommy?" she asked me once she had reached me. I looked at her and pointed to the girls.

"See those women over there?" she nodded, and I continued, "Those are my friends. Now come on, let's go meet them." She nodded and took my hand. Together we walked to where they were.

Once we had reached them, I smiled. "Hi," I said.

"Hey Kori," Karen said, smiling back. She then saw Marie standing next to me. "And who might this be?" she asked.

'This," I gestured next to me, "Is Marie. Marie, meet Karen, Rachel, and Jennifer," I said, pointing to each person as I said their name. Marie stepped up so she could see them all clearly and grinned.

"Hi!" she said, waving her hand excitedly. I smiled and shook my head at her actions and heard Rachel, Jenny, and Karen say hi back.

Marie then looked at Rachel intently, in deep thought. We all noticed and stared at her, waiting for her to say something. Her eyes suddenly widened and as she looked at Rachel, she said, "Raven."

Rachel was surprised, although she hid it very well. She nodded to her and said, "Yes, I'm Raven." Marie looked as happy as possible, and she was about to ask her something more, probably to pick something up with her magic, when Karen spoke up.

"Do you recognize us Marie?" Karen asked her, pointing to herself and Jenny. Marie looked at them with a determined look on her face —which looked adorable, by the way— and she suddenly smiled again.

"Jinx and Bumblebee," she stated. She waited for them to nod, and when they did, she smiled wide.

"Now that that's settled," Jenny began. "Marie, would you like to be flower girl for my wedding?" she finished. Marie looked up to her and her eyes lit up. She started jumping around and squealing at the top of her lungs.

"Yes, yes, yes!" she squealed. She continued jumping around, then stopped and looked Jenny in the eye. "Thank you Ms. Jennifer," she told her.

Jenny smiled down at her. "You're welcome Marie." She looked up to me and told me, "She has _very_ good manners." I nodded.

"She's very polite to everyone she meets." I smiled down at Marie. She smiled back with all her teeth. I shook my head, still smiling. "And always happy, as you can tell."

We stood there talking for a few minutes until I began to grow tired. "Come on, let's go sit down," I told them. They nodded and we walked over to a bench. Karen sat next to Jenny and Rachel sat next to me on the other side, with Marie deciding to sit on my lap and play with my hair, which I had left down.

"How old is she Kori?" Jenny asked once we had all sat down.

"She is three now and turning four in September," I replied. She nodded and Marie spoke up.

"Yup! I'm going to be four years old!" she exclaimed happily. She displayed her bright smile to everyone, and Jenny and Karen smiled back. Rachel then turned to me.

"Is she always this happy?" she asked, her left eyebrow up.

I nodded. "You have no idea. She almost always up early, and she always wants to play. When I wake up early, she's already up and watching cartoons in the living room." At this, Marie nodded rapidly.

"Yup! I'm an early riser, huh mommy?" She turned to me, and I nodded. Satisfied, she began to play with my hair again. I shook my head and smiled softly.

Soon after that, we began to talk the plans for the wedding, like the color of the bridesmaid dresses, the design of the wedding dress, the flowers, the tuxedos, everything. It took up most of our time, and suddenly it was midday. We all got up and walked to our cars, deciding to go eat at Del Taco. I carried Marie to the car because she was already getting tired, since it was past twelve.

We got to Del Taco and ordered our food and ate quickly after I had explained to them that Marie had to take her nap. We said goodbye and I went back home with a sleeping Marie in the backseat.

While I stopped the car at a stoplight, I looked back at Marie. She was deep asleep, and I smiled. I then turned back to the road and drove the rest of the way in silence, thinking about millions of things.

Once we had gotten home, I got out and went to get Marie. She had woken up before I opened the car door, apparently, because she was rubbing her eyes and was stretching – adorably – in her seat. I smiled. "Hi sweetie, we're home." I took the belts off her and picked her up and she nestled her head next to my neck. "Come on," I said as I walked up the stairs. "Let's get you in bed." I just felt her nod against my neck. I smiled softly and opened the door to the apartment.

Once I had her in her bed, I put a light blanket on her and left the room. I walked to the living room and sat on the couch, my hands reaching for the remote and turning the TV on. I channel surfed for a while before I finally gave up on that and went to my room. I turned on my laptop and my curiosity to know what had happened after I left overwhelmed me.

I typed in "Teen Titans" in the search box and anxiously waited for the results to load, all the while biting my bottom lip impatiently. I clicked on the first page and my eyes scanned the whole thing. At first I only found the biography of all the titans, with the original five on top, but then I scrolled down and I found what I was looking for.

_The end of the Teen Titans_

_What led the Teen Titans to separate? What caused one of the best superhero groups of all time to end? _

_There were very small things that headed to separation, but the biggest and the one that affected everyone was the unsolved and mysterious disappearance of their fellow teammate Starfire. The Tamaranean was not found in her room one night, with the windows wide open. Every belonging she owned was left behind, and no clues as to what happened to her were found. Every person, titan or not, set out to find her, but there never came up anything to tell where she was._

_The search lasted most of the year after she was reported missing, but then it ceased when the police stated that she was to be pronounced dead. The team managed to stay together for a whole year after this, and then the Teen Titans mutually agreed to disband and settle down on the first year anniversary of Starfire's pronounced death. They have been separated ever since, but occasionally they group together to fight off any possible threats to the city._

My body wouldn't move. I was tempted to read what was after it, which was titled "What Happened after the Team Ended," but my fingers just wouldn't move.

'Everyone went looking for me?' I thought. I plopped backwards on my bed and looked at the ceiling.

'_Of course they were doing the looking for you! They are your friends, are they not?' _Starfire said in my head.

'Yes they are, and I'm grateful that they were dedicated to finding me, but I'm still surprised. I didn't know people cared that much about me,' I thought back. Starfire stayed quiet, and I just lay there, listening to the silence of the apartment.

I finally sighed and got up. I walked to the kitchen and heated up some tea, which Raven had gotten me to like before I left. I sighed again and waited for the tea to be ready.

As soon as it was ready, I put the tea in a mug and drank slowly from it, and I walked to the couch. I plopped myself on it and looked at the wall blankly. After what felt like some minutes, I heard a door open and then I saw Marie come out, rubbing her eyes. She spotted me at the couch and walked over to me.

I put my mug on the table in front of me and opened my arms. Marie went into them and I just hugged her tightly for a while. She hugged me back and then leaned back.

"What's wrong mommy?" she asked me, confusion clear on her face. I shook my head and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine sweetie, just tired." I put her on my lap so she could sit and smiled again. "So, did you sleep well?"

Marie's normal enthusiasm came back full force. "Yup! Miss Rachel took me to the park while you were with daddy!"

I froze. She still dreamt about Richard? "Honey, was he the same daddy from your last dream?" I asked her, hoping that she wouldn't say what I think she's going to say.

"Yup!" she nodded happily. "You and daddy went to a meeting and Miss Rachel babysat me. She took me to the park to play and then we played a board game called," she suddenly stopped and looked deep in thought. She brightened up a few seconds later. "Candyland!" She grinned at me, and I returned it.

"Do you want to watch some TV before going to bed?" I asked her. She nodded quickly and bounced up and down, probably eager to watch the Teen Titans. I smiled and turned the TV on and put it to the channel the Teen Titans were on.

For the next hour and a half Marie watched TV while I read one of my books lying near me. Marie would laugh at what the show would say, and I would look up out of curiosity. Most of the time it was Cyborg and Beast Boy making jokes, so I would just turn back to my book and smile discretely.

Then, Marie sighed turned to me. "Mommy, Robin and Starfire liked each other here?" I was taken aback, not expecting the sudden question, but I nodded. She looked back at the screen and pointed at it. "If they liked each other, then why didn't they say it?"

I looked at my three year old, stunned. I shook my head a little a few seconds later so I could answer.

"I don't know baby." I looked at the ground. "I don't know." I shook my head again and smiled. "Time to go to bed!"

Marie jumped up and ran to the kitchen to eat cereal, and I followed. 'Why all the cereal?' I thought to myself.

After our "dinner," Marie went to the bathroom to wash her teeth while I started her bath. As soon as she was done, I left so she could bathe, and I went back to my room, where I just sat there. I thought about Marie's question in silence until I heard the sound of Marie leaving the bathroom. I got up and walked to the door to find Marie, entering her room and covered head to toe in towels.

I giggled quietly as I went back in my room and got my things. I stepped into the bathroom and did my daily and nightly routine. Take out my contacts, make sure there are no red roots visible, take a shower, brush my teeth, and check again for red roots in my hair.

I dressed in my sweats and got in bed, and went to sleep without thinking of anything, which I appreciated extremely.

***waves sheepishly* Sorry for not updating for such a long time. School started and all my teachers dumped homework on me as if their lives depended on it.  
>(I think they actually enjoyed giving me all that homework. They're all working against me to give me as much as they can…)<strong>

**:D Yeah, I'll try to update in early September, but don't expect anything around the 15****th****. It's mah birfday. :3**

**Lol, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please review/ leave a comment.  
>BYE!:)<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**ELEVEN.**

**Ok, I am INCREDIBLY sorry for not updating in September. I just had too much homework and I couldn't even squeeze in time to write this.:/ School is killing me, and even though I write as much as I can, it's not enough to finish this. **

**I PROMISE you all that because of my lack of an update in September, you readers will see TWO updates in October. THIS I promise.**

**Ok, now for the reviews. :)**

**robstarfan723****: Lol, yes I did, and here is the next chappie.:)  
><strong>**I'm Not A Princess****: Aw, thank you and thank you again. :)  
><strong>**Momo-chan119****: Your review literally made me smile, thank you for that. :D Lol, yeah, it's going to be a while until he figures it out, so try to hang in there, and here's the next installment for ya, so you won't have to wait. It's a chapter closer to Robin figuring it out… :)  
><strong>**clarkLover1****: Yeeah, sorry about the short chapter, but I had to update it before August ended. :/ Sorry. Anyways, here's the next one. :)  
><strong>**ChaoswingX****: Thank you for reviewing and that's a pretty good question… Haha, it's because the Teen Titans were so iconic that people decided to make a show about all their heroic deeds. And that's why Marie watches it. :)  
><strong>**Artemis west****: Thank you so much. :) Good guess, but my lips are sealed with superglue until a specific chapter comes in… :D And yeah, I've watched Young Justice. And I love your name by the way. :)  
><strong>**NerdyAthlete****: Aw, thank you! :) Here's the next chapter for you. :)  
><strong>**Thatrandomnerd****: Thank you and here is the chapter. :)  
><strong>**Arashi Shinomori****: I'm fine, thank you for asking! :) And it's no problem. You can leave your reviewing this and I'm glad that this fanfic absorbs everyone in, cause that's what every author wants to hear. :) Lol, that will be in a while, because I don't want to rush this story. But when it comes to it, I guarantee you it will be epic. :) It's no problem, I love when people leave long reviews. :D Haha, here's chapter eleven.:) YAY! :DDDDD Thank you! :D  
><strong>**Hey-wazup-stalker****: Yay! The suspense is working! :P Lol, yeah, here's the next one for ya. :D  
><strong>**Guest****: Thank you and here is the next chapter.:)**

~*ANNOUNCEMENT*~

**I can speak, read, and understand Spanish, so anyone who reads this and speaks Spanish better than English can leave a review in Spanish. I don't mind reading them at all, and I kind of enjoy it when people from other countries read this. :D So again, if you speak, write, and read Spanish better than in English and you feel it's better for you that way, leave your review in Spanish. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans and never will. Ok, always refer back to this chapter in the future for disclaimers because I'm tired of writing them and everyone should know already that I don't own it. (No need to rub it in my face…) **

**Ok, now that all that is out of the way, read this now. I still feel bad that it took so long…**

Chapter 11

~*(Around a month later)*~

I don't know if I should feel relieved or worried that no problems have occurred. There have been no close calls; no one has questioned me, nothing. It doesn't feel right, but at the same time I'm getting used to not having my guard up.

Richard and I have been getting along better and better, and I've seen him happier and happier recently. Why, I don't know, but I like him better this way. I'd rather have him happy than what he was when I saw him again for the first time.

All of us have been eating as a group more often, and I've been bonding with Gar and Vic more and more. Vic considers me to be his little sister and Gar and I are practically best friends. Now that I'm fully caught up with every human joke and phrase, Gar and I laugh until we can't breathe, which is often.

Rachel and I are also really close, just like old times. Even with this, though, she still isn't that open with me. It's understandable though, I had just met her a few months ago, or so she thinks. As for Karen, she and I are close as well, and since she's an all-around sweetheart with a sassy side, we get along perfectly. We are just too sweet to people, and in turn we are sweet to each other. Jen and I are close too, and we bond a little more because of our mutual love for the color purple. Actually, I'm the one that helps with the color scheme for the wedding, which is in September. It's going to be a lot to squeeze in four months, but it's not impossible.

Work has gone by surprisingly smooth. Meetings, conferences, faxes, and paperwork to fill out takes up most of our time, which means that we don't have time to have conversations like before, except the good mornings and the good byes. Of course, we talk at lunch, but not as much anymore because I'm helping plan the wedding with Jen, Karen, and Rachel. Even with this, we manage to squeeze in a conversation or two every once in a while.

Now, my daily routine is turning into a very normal one, and I'm perfectly fine with it. I finally feel ok with it, and even though I'm always feeling paranoid, I'm happy with how my life's going so far.

"Mommy, get up!" I heard someone shout. I groaned and sat up on my bed. This whole time I had been lying on my bed, thinking of everything that has passed through my head in the past month. I didn't want to get up from my bed, so I just opted to stay in bed for a little while longer. Apparently, I can't, because Marie will most likely drag me out if I don't get up myself.

"I'm up, I'm up," I said. She jumped up and down, clapping her hands, and I saw that she was still in her pajamas.

"Come on mommy! Let's go make breakfast!" She ran out of the room and to the kitchen, giggling the whole way. I chuckled and stretched before getting up and putting on a robe. I walked to the kitchen and found Marie pulling out eggs, milk, and the pancake mix. I smiled.

"Do you want pancakes Marie?" I asked her. She looked up at me and nodded vigorously, so I took the mix from her hands and started preparing it. Meanwhile, I cooked the eggs and added the salt, and then I started on the pancakes. When those were done, we finally sat down to eat, with Marie giggling at random every two seconds, which had me laughing every two seconds. This escalated to the point where we couldn't stop laughing, and our food had gotten cold.

"Marie, come on, eat your food," I told her, still laughing. Marie giggled and nodded, and tried picking up her fork but was overwhelmed with another fit of giggles, which of course had me laughing again.

This continued for a few minutes until I gave up on us ever finishing our breakfast. Still giggling, I put the food in the fridge and we went to watch cartoons. Since it was Saturday, old cartoon reruns were playing. Marie instantly found the Teen Titans show and focused all her attention on it, while I watched it to see how true they were being to the team.

The phone suddenly rang, so I got up from my position on the couch to answer.

"Hello?"

"Kori, it's Rachel."

I smiled. "Hi Rachel! What's up?" I said.

"Can you meet Karen, Jennifer, and I at her Jennifer's house with Marie? We're doing the dress fittings today."

"Yes of course! I'll be there in around fifteen minutes, alright?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye Rachel.

I hung up and turned to Marie, who was sitting on the couch, still watching the Teen Titans. Knowing that she wouldn't even notice that I was gone because of her concentration with the show, I went to take a shower. I got dressed in some dark blue skinny jeans and a dark grey V-neck t-shirt with some black converse, and I put some perfume before leaving my room.

Marie was still where I had left her, watching the TV screen. I smiled and tapped her shoulder. She turned to look at me, and looked surprised that I was dressed. I smiled again.

"Honey, we're going to Ms. Jennifer's house, so go get dressed. We have to get you a flower girl dress." As soon as I said the words 'flower girl,' Marie sprang up and ran to her room. I giggled at her actions and just sat down where she had been and watched the rest of the show. A few minutes later, she came back wearing a purple shirt with some blue capris. I got up, got my keys, and we left the house.

~*WAYN*~

The dress fitting went without a hitch. Marie happily had her measurements done; knowing that if she did this she would get her flower girl dress. Meanwhile, the rest of us waited as patiently as possible while our own measurements were jotted down. Half an hour later, it was finally over.

"Mommy, can we go to the park? Pretty please?" Marie begged me once we had eaten some homemade burritos that the girls and I had made. I smiled and reached for her hand. She put hers in mine and I led her over to where Rachel, Jen, and Karen were sitting in the living room.

"Marie, tell them where you want to go," I said. Marie shyly stood in front of them.

"Can we go to the park?" she asked them, looking up as she finished, her eyes hopeful. Karen and Jen smiled at her and nodded, and Rachel just nodded.

"I'll be right back; I'm going to call someone." Jen went into her room, and I sat down across from Karen and Rachel. Marie sat where Jen had been, right in between Rachel and Karen. We talked about miscellaneous things for about a minute and a half until Jen came back. We got our things and went to the park.

Marie and I went with Karen, leaving the car at Jen's apartment, while Rachel and Jen went in their own cars. Before we left, I put the booster seat for Marie in the back of Karen's car so she could sit. After that, we were off.

The ride was spent with Karen and I discussing small details of Jen's wedding while Marie looked out the window as we passed by. Every once in a while I would look back to make sure that Marie was okay, since she was normally talking. I was met with a grin from her each time, and each time I returned the gesture.

We reached the park last, and Jen and Rachel were waiting for us under the shade of a tree. Once Marie was free from the belt straps of her seat, she ran away from the car like a rocket to the playground. I reached the girls and we walked over to a bench close to the playground so I could keep an eye on Marie. We talked for a few minutes until I saw four cars pull up and park next to ours out of the corner of my eye. One of them seemed _very_ familiar, as if I'd seen it before, but I just couldn't pinpoint where or when I had. I shrugged it off and kept up with the conversation I was in, looking at Marie to make sure she was still there.

It wasn't until I felt someone tap my shoulder that I turned around. I was met with the face of Gar grinning at me. To his right was Vic and on his left was Richard, with Wally next to him. I put on a smile and hugged Gar.

"Hi guys!" I exclaimed as I let go of Gar so he could go to his wife. Vic smiled at me.

"Hi there little lady," he told me before going to Karen and sitting with her.

"Hi Kori," Wally said as he sat right in front of me, which was also right next to Jen.

Richard was the last one, and he sat next to me, since there wasn't any other place left. "Hi Kori," he told me, smiling politely at me. I smiled back as calmly as I could and said hello back, and I turned to the playground to call Marie, only to not find her there. I immediately began to panic and my eyes scanned the whole area, hoping I would find her in the shade or trying to hide behind something. I found absolutely nothing.

I abruptly stood up and scoured the whole park with my eyes, hoping that I couldn't see her well because I was sitting down. This obviously startled everyone else, because they all looked at me and stopped any current conversation.

"What's wrong Kor?" Jen asked, her unique magenta-colored eyes looking at me with confusion. I shook my head and swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, trying to push the panic down.

"Marie. She's not here," I said, trying as hard as possible to stay calm. My powers would soon begin to act up if I didn't calm down, and I didn't want that. My eyes would glow green, instantly dissolving the blue contacts, and I would start hovering, which would be as if I had a big neon sign right next to me saying: STARFIRE, RIGHT HERE!

I closed my eyes and forced myself to stop panicking. It wouldn't help me find my daughter. I opened my eyes and found that Richard was already jogging to the playground to see if she was hidden somewhere where we couldn't see him. Everyone looked at him in surprise, and even I stopped panicking to look at him, surprised that he would be that concerned.

He looked over his shoulder and yelled to us, "Don't just stand there! Come on, we have to find her!" He went back to looking, and I snapped out of my trance. I instantly was at his side, looking in the slides, in the bathroom, and up in the trees for Marie. I don't know where the others went; I only concentrated on finding my baby safe and sound.

~*WAYN*~

What felt like hours later, we just sat back down where we were before all this had happened. Well, everyone else sat, while I paced in front of them, feeling like I was going insane. I vaguely heard my friends talking, but I couldn't understand a word they were saying; the only thing on my mind was my sweet little Marie. My poor baby, where are you…

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I stopped and looked at the person, my eyes conveying all the worry I was feeling. Rachel studied me for a little, her lilac-like eyes scrutinizing me. Her eyes then widened and a look of realization and shock grew on her face. She quickly put her emotional mask back on, and she squeezed my shoulder sympathetically.

"Marie's going to be fine… Kori." I didn't even notice her hesitance of saying my name until later, too worried for my daughter at the moment to care about anything else. I nodded, not really paying attention. I felt another hand on my shoulder and saw Richard looking at me, his eyes reassuring.

"Yes, she's going to be fine. We are going to find her, no matter what it takes." He told me. I nodded and closed my eyes.

Vic came up and pushed Richard away to hug me. I hugged back, and he whispered in my ear "The little little lady is going to be fine, don't you worry about that." He pulled back. I opened my eyes and smiled at him. He smiled back and moved to the side as Wally came up.

"Don't freak out Kori. We're going to find her, even _if_ we have to go to the extremes." He looked at everyone else, who nodded to say they agreed. He gave me a reassuring smile, and moved aside for Gar to come through.

"Kor, Marie's fine, alright? She's _your_ daughter, isn't she?" I rolled my eyes and smiled a little. He hugged me and I hugged him back, trying to keep the tears at bay.

Gar let go, and that's when Rachel, Jen, and Karen bombarded me with a hug, all at the same time. They hugged me hard, whispering comforting things to me, when I heard Vic say "GROUP HUG!" I felt more pressure around me and I just smiled, feeling so loved. This is the exact moment where I heard the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Mommy?"

I gasped and everyone seemed to take the hint. They all let go of me and I ran to my daughter, picking her up and kissing her cheeks, her forehead, and her nose. Marie giggled softly and said, "Mommy, stop!"

I calmed down and just smiled at her. My baby was safe. She was right here, where I was, and she was fine. I would talk to her and demand to know where she had hidden later. All that mattered was that Marie was here with me. Marie smiled back at me, and her green eyes twinkled with happiness.

I turned to everyone with Marie still in my arms. "Guys, this is Marie." I put her down and she beamed at all of them, going back to her normal self.

"Hi!" she said, waving at them. Vic looked in thought, but still managed to say hi back. Wally smiled at her and said hi, while Richard just said hello absently and got lost in his thoughts. Gar grinned at her and turned to me.

"She sure is happy." I nodded at that.

"You have _no_ idea. She's calm right now, if you can believe that," I told him seriously. He looked at me in surprise before looking back at Marie. He looked at me and he shook his head. I just smiled. "You'll see. She is unstoppable when she's hyper. You don't want to see her when she gets like that." Gar nodded quickly, understanding what I was saying. I laughed at his expression and looked to Marie.

"Marie, this is Richard, Victor, Wally, and Garfield," I said, motioning to each of them as I said their names. Each one smiled at her when their name was called, which Marie returned enthusiastically. She saw Richard though, and her eyes went wide. She looked at me, and I gestured for her not to say anything. She nodded and turned back to them, which they hadn't noticed at all. They all were thinking of other things. She just grinned again, her past enthusiasm coming back.

"Hi Mr. Richard, Mr. Victor, Mr. Wally, and Mr. Garfield!" She told them, still grinning. Four mouths dropped open and Karen, Jen, and I began giggling while Rachel just stood there, a small smile tugging upwards at the corners of her mouth.

"Two things," Wally said once he had learned that he could close his mouth. "Where did she learn such good manners, and where did you get such a smart kid?" He looked at me, expecting an answer.

Still giggling every once in a while, I responded, "She learned her manners because she just knows to respect her elders. As for the second question, I have no clue. I ask myself that every day." I smiled down at my three year old and she smiled back, showing me her pearly white teeth.

"How about we all go and sit down?" I suggested. They nodded and we walked over to the table the girls and I had originally been sitting at. Karen sat next to Vic, with Jen and Wally sitting across from them. Gar sat next to Vic, and Rachel sat in front of him. I sat down next to Rachel and Richard sat down in front of me. Marie decided to sit on my lap and play with my hair, which I had let down.

The guys mainly focused on Marie, asking her questions and answering the questions she asked them. As always, Marie was happy to be the center of attention and always kept a smile on her face. We spent most of the day at the park, just talking to each other and eating some of the food Vic had surprised us with.

The whole day passed by me, and I didn't mind. I was surrounded by friends and my daughter, which made me happy. My guard was blissfully down, which it hadn't been in a while. Believing it had been enough time worrying about someone finding out who I truly was, I just let myself have fun and let a bit of my old enthusiasm show.

Little did I know that someone had already figured it out.

**I know you all want to kill me, but here it is. Expect another update this month. This one was for last month, and the next one is for this month. If that makes sense.:)**

**ANYWAYS, I hope you enjoyed this, and please leave a comment/review to tell me what you thought.:)**

**BYYYYEEEEEEE!:D**


	12. Chapter 12

**CAPITULO TWELVE**

**AAAAAND I'VE RETURNED!  
>Hi there, phangirl4eva back with your faaaaavorite stooory…*drumroll*<strong>

"**Where Are You Now?"!**

**Lol, I had a LITTLE bit too much chocolate while writing this.:D  
>Anyways, here is the next chapter for all of you in October, just as I promised. I couldn't figure out how to write this story, but my stubbornness to have this chapter out before the end of this month persisted. I just couldn't that to you all.:)<strong>

**REVIEWS:  
><span>clarkLover1<span>****: Haha, you will find THAT out, my dear, dear reader, in time.:) As for whom it is, this chapter tells you. Don't get excited though.:)  
><strong>**BlondeBunnyBoo****: Aw hun it's fine. You review this story in general, and I couldn't be more grateful for that.:) Haha, knowing that makes me happy. It's what every author wants to hear, thank you.:)  
><strong>**Shia Estelle****: Thank you! I'm happy knowing that you like this story.:) Here's the next chapter for ya.:)**

**Ok, now to the story.:)**

Chapter 12

~*BONUS!:D*~  
>Rachel's POV<br>(Third person)

Rachel could not believe it. It couldn't be possible. It can't be possible, it's IMPOSSIBLE!

She sighed, frustrated, and began pacing in her bedroom. She and Gary had come home after the day out in the park with Richard, Victor, Wally, Karen, Jennifer, and… Kori?

"This is going nowhere," she growled under her breath as she began to pace quicker. Consequently, the light bulb in the lamp on the bedside table exploded because of her growing agitation. A hiss escaped her mouth and she cursed. "I have to meditate," she muttered.

She sat down on the edge of her bed and tried to calm down enough to relax, but the issue in her head wouldn't leave her alone. She eventually gave up and sighed angrily, and began pacing once more.

'How could she do this? Does she not trust us? What did we do wrong? Why did she leave? Why didn't she tell any of us? Who is Marie's father? Could _that_ be the reason as to why she left? WHAT IS GOING ON?' So many questions filled her head, and she didn't know the answer to any of them.

And even though all needed to be answered, the one that stuck out the most was the most important of all.

'Why didn't she tell me?' Rachel sighed and finally lied down on her bed. She stared at the ceiling and sighed sadly. Why didn't she tell her? Did she not consider her as a sister anymore? What was going on? Why is she keeping secrets?

So many questions and absolutely no answers. She sighed once more and closed her eyes.

She heard the door open, but didn't open her eyes. She knew who was going to be there. She felt the bed dip a few seconds later, and an arm wrapped itself around her waist. She smiled faintly and turned to the person the arm belonged to. She opened her eyes to find Gary looking at her, concern in his eyes. He smiled at her and kissed her lightly.

He pulled away and chuckled softly. He looked at her and his expression became serious. "I know something's up. I heard you sighing. What's wrong?" he asked her. She resisted the urge to smile. He knew her too well.

"Nothing's wrong Gary, I'm just tired," she lied. Gary raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing it. She sighed once more and kissed his cheek. "I'll tell you later," she promised. He sighed as well, but gave in.

With a sudden burst of determination, she sat up on the bed and put on her shoes. She walked to the door of her room, prepared to leave. "I'll be right back. I need to… deal with something I should have seen a _long_ time ago." She smiled to her husband and left the house, leaving Gary even more confused than before.

Rachel climbed into her car, her determination driving her to go where she needed to go. She immediately started her car and drove to her destination. All the while, her mind was in overdrive, many different thoughts flying all around in her head.

She was mad. Mad that "Kori" didn't even tell her. That she wasn't even _thinking_ of telling her. She only knew who "Kori" truly was because she had felt all the emotion she was unconsciously releasing. That and the fact that she had unknowingly let her mental barrier down, one that Rachel didn't even know _existed_ until it was down. She had to give her credit for that, though. She can sense even the best hidden mental barriers, but hers was basically nonexistent to her until it was down. Because of that broken barrier, she had heard every single thought going through her head, and that alerted her to who was hiding behind the human facade She glared at the road and unconsciously accelerated.

"She is going to tell me everything. Whether she wants to or not."

~*WAYN*~

Rachel arrived quickly and stalked over to the door. She knocked as politely and normally as possible, though her anger was proving it hard to do. She waited for around a minute until the door opened and "Kori" stood at the door. She smiled once she saw Rachel, but her smile faltered once she saw her expression.

"What's wrong Rachel?" she asked her. Rachel was showing a bit of her anger, and it was enough to alert "Kori" to the fact that she wasn't happy.

"You tell me," she said between her teeth. "What should I call you? 'Kori,' or your actual name?" she seethed. "Kori's" eyes widened and she looked in shock.

"Do tell though, _how_ did you hide for so long? Why didn't you tell anyone?" She asked, her new found attitude coming through. She stopped from saying anything else, waiting for an answer.

"Kori" was too shocked to say anything though. She was staring at Rachel with shock, realization, and faint horror.

"You're going to explain everything. NOW." Rachel pushed her way in the living room and sat down on one of the sofas, her foot tapping in agitation. "Kori" snapped somewhat out of her state of shock and sat right next to Rachel. Confusion now took its place as the reigning emotion on her face.

"How-how did you find out?" 'Kori' whispered. She was still looking straight ahead, and looked Rachel's way when she ended her sentence. Her eyes expressed her surprise and her hesitance to even ask. She looked at such a loss of what to do that Rachel almost gave in and forgave her. Then she remembered the reason she was here, and pushed that thought out of her head.

"I can sense people's emotions and thoughts. How do you think?" She snapped, her attitude coming back.

"Kori" just stared at her, her confusion taking control once again. She cocked her head slightly to the side and knit her eyebrows. She then narrowed her eyes slightly and responded with a defiant tone of her own that Rachel had never heard.

"I know that, tell me exactly how." "Kori" said, crossing her arms. Rachel just looked at her and raised an eyebrow, not liking the new attitude she was receiving. She chose to ignore it though, and replied.

"Earlier today you let your mental barrier down and your emotions were coming off in waves. Is that explanation enough?" She saw "Kori's" face dawn in realization and then a slight horror took over her features once again. She controlled it almost immediately, although Rachel saw it.

"Kori" sighed, admitting surrender, and leaned back until her back was resting against the sofa. She put her head in her hands and stayed like that for a while, and the whole time Rachel was waiting patiently for her to say something. "Kori" finally sighed once more and looked at Rachel tiredly.

"So now you know." She closed her eyes. With them still closed, she continued, "For Marie's sake, could you not say anything? I don't want to pressure her into being a hero, she's too young." She opened her eyes and looked pleadingly into slightly questioning purple eyes. "Please."

Rachel sighed and nodded, leaning back on the sofa also and casting a curious look "Kori's" way.

"Who is her father?" Rachel whispered. "Kori" dropped her head and sighed.

"If I tell you, you have to promise me your _life_ that no one else will ever know." Rachel just nodded, encouraging her to say it.

She sighed and with her eyes still closed, she uttered the answer.

"Robin."

Rachel stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. It was obviously the truth, she could tell. That _and_ the fact that Marie had black hair and blue eyes. At first, she thought that the reason she had black hair was because of her mother. Black hair was _very _common. But now, it made MUCH more sense. And her blue eyes also were understandable.

But why did she leave?

"Star?" Rachel asked quietly. Said person looked up in surprise and into Rachel's eyes.

She chuckled softly. "It's been a _long_ time since I've been called that." She sighed and looked at Rachel again. "What's up?" She asked.

"Why did you leave?"

Starfire/Kori looked at Rachel and sighed again. She looked to the floor and began her explanation. "If I would've told Robin, he would have been overjoyed, yes, but he also would've been distracted. TOO distracted. He would be worrying about me, and eventually he would've left the team to take care of Marie and I. I couldn't let that happen, so I left." It was quiet for a few minutes, and Rachel was about to talk again when a door was opened and a sleepy Marie came out.

Marie saw who was next to her mother and smiled instantly, lighting up her face. Rachel saw this and wondered how she didn't notice that she looked exactly like her mother when she did that.

"Miss Rachel, hi!" Marie ran over to where the two were sitting and hugged Rachel. Rachel hugged her back, finally realizing that she was her niece in a way. Starfire noticed and smiled softly at the two. Rachel looked over to see her smiling, and she let a small smile grace her features.

"Hi there Marie," Rachel murmured to the three year old.

Now she knew what "Kori" was hiding, but now how to keep it a secret from the people who know her best?

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN!:D  
>Lol, I told you peoples that I would update twice in October. I just didn't tell you when. ;)<strong>

**Here's the chapter for this October, and chapter 13 will come out soon! I'm sorry that this isn't as long as it normally is, but I needed to update and give you guys a chapter. I promised. :)  
>Soooo, tell me your thoughts on this chapter by clicking the button somewhere below this, and have a happy and safe Halloween! <strong>

**BYE!:D**


	13. Chapter 13

**THIRTEEN**

**Haha, um, hi guys?  
>Yeeeeeah, sorry about the EXTREMELY late update, I've barely had any time to write this or my other story because of finals, grades, and my personal life too. And that's still an issue for me, sadly. My family's going through a rough time right now unfortunately, but I'll try and write as much as possible for you guys, since I know how you all feel when a story you like doesn't get updated. I really need to keep my grades up or no laptop for me anymore, so yeah. And not to mention that every time I wrote this, it never saved and I had to start all over again. -.-<br>I'm getting behind on chapters, I know, but I'll try as hard as I can to make up for it with either REEEAALLLY long chapters or short and frequent ones ok?**

**Anyways, here come the review responses:  
><strong>**clarkLover1****: Haha, I'm glad you liked it.:)  
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><strong>**Guest #1****: Thank you so much, and here's the next one.:)  
><strong>**Guest #2****: Of course it's going to be interesting. And this is just the BEGINNING.;)  
><strong>**Anonomys****: Thank you and I'll always update this story. *hums Never Going To Give You Up* Haha, here's the next chapter.:)  
><strong>**Guest004****: Aw, you checked every day? Thank you SOSOSO much for liking this story THAT much. It really makes me happy, and here ya go, in return.:)  
><strong>**robstar591****: You betcha I will.:) Thank you for reviewing this by the way.:)  
><strong>**robstarfan504#1****: DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME, THIS STORY ISN'T OVER YET! Lol, excuse me, the sugar I ate recently talked for me.:D Anyways, here is the next one and I'll try to update quicker so this kind of thing doesn't happen again****  
>robstarfan504#2<strong>**: Welcome to this website, and thank you SO much for reviewing again. You're the first person to ever review more than once to tell me how much they love my story, so thanks again for that.:)****  
>robstarfan504#3<strong>**: Haha, thank you for reviewing again and thank you.:) Here's the next chapter for ya.:D  
><strong>**Guest #1****: Here's the next update.:)****  
>Guest #2<strong>**: Done, and enjoy.:D  
><strong>**Guest #3****: Lol, your wish is my command, here ya go.:)  
><strong>**Randomness****: Aw, I'm sorry, but my family doesn't like me being on the computer for as long as I am, and they are always around, so I couldn't get access to my laptop for the past few days. I feel bad now.:( Merry Christmas to you too, and I'm INCREDIBLY sorry for the wait, but her it is. Consider it a late Christmas present.:)  
><strong>**robstarfan504****: Haha, sorry for the LOOOOOONG wait,, but here it finally is.:) Don't die on me yet, because this story still isn't over.:D  
><strong>**BlackRaven****: Here it is  
><strong>**xxAlwaysSmilexx****: Hi to you too! I'm sorry for the extremely long wait, but here it is.:)  
><strong>**HelloKittai8****: Here's the next chapter, sorry for the wait.:)**

**Chapter 1:  
><strong>**Guest #1****: Here's the next chapter, sorry bout the wait.:)  
><strong>**Guest #2****: That was an interesting story, I am honored that you shared it with me, honest**

**Chapter 8:  
><strong>**Guest****: here it is**

**Okay, this chapter as of now is dedicated to Guest004 and robstarfan504. You two are the ones that made me extremely happy while reading the reviews, thank you for that.:)**

**Alright, alright, go ahead.**

Chapter 13

It's been around three weeks since the guys had met Mike. They finally believed what I believed; Star was alive. After all those years I tried to convince them, they never believed me. That is, until a private detective told them.

_~*Flashback*~_

"_So, when exactly are we meeting this private detective of yours?" Vic asked me, still skeptical. _

_I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the door. "Soon. He'll be here any minute."_

_On cue, Mike came through the door. He looked around the restaurant, scanning the place until he found me sitting in one corner of the room and walked over._

_When he reached the table, I stood up and introduced him. "Guys, meet Mike." I Looked at Mike and gestured to who were sitting in front of us, "Mike, these morons," they protested, at which I just smirked, "Are Victor, Wally, and Garfield," I finished, pointing to each of them respectively._

_Mike nodded his head and said to them all, "It's a pleasure meeting you all." He sat down in a chair next to me and as soon as he had looked up, Vic spoke up._

"_So," Vic asked once Mike had looked up after sitting down, "You think you've found Star." He said like a statement, not a question_

_Mike looked Vic in the eye. "Yes, I believe I have." He put the suitcase he'd been carrying around in his lap and took out a thin but important looking manila folder. He placed it on the table for everyone to see. _

"_There is a young woman that although does not fit the description I was told, acts similarly like Starfire." _

_He took out many more papers, excluding a few of them and leaving the rest aside. _

"_I have no pictures as of yet, but I have some files pertaining to this person." One by one he placed them on the table, describing each sheet before setting them down._

"_This is a list of receipts from different stores where this woman has bought hair dye. It does not specify which dye color was bought in any of them, but I thought it suspicious, especially since it is bought regularly and over a long period of time." He set the paper down, and immediately Wally picked it up, the others crowding around him to see it also._

_I looked towards Mike, and he mouthed, 'Copies for you inside,' patting his suitcase quietly. I nodded and turned back to Wally, who had finally let the paper down and was looking now at Mike again._

"_Alright," he said. He still looked skeptical, the others too. I restrained from shaking my head and groaning in annoyance and settled with just closing my eyes._

"_There are also these purchases of nonprescription contact lenses, also over a long period of time," I heard, and I opened my eyes. _

"_Nonprescription? So she just bought them because she wanted a different eye color?" I asked. Obviously, I knew that many people tended to buy colored contacts just for the fun of it, but for a long time? Mike was right; it was a little _too_ suspicious to be considered normal._

_Mike nodded at my question. "Not needed at all, just bought with the intent to cover up the eye color."_

"_Hm, alright," I said, leaning back in my chair again. "Is there anything more?"_

_Mike shook his head. "Not as of now, but with this information and the rest I'm discovering at the moment, I'm sure there will be more to look into." I nodded and Mike turned to the others at the table. "I suppose you three will also be kept updated on this from now?"_

_Wally immediately nodded, at which I smiled. Gar came soon after, nodding quickly and grinning my way. _

_Vic didn't say anything. We all looked at him, waiting for his answer. He looked us all in the eye, but he kept his gaze on me the longest. He narrowed his eyes, searching for something, before sighing and leaning back in his chair. He put his hands up in surrender and crossed his arms in front of his chest._

"_Fine, fine. I believe. And yes," he looked towards Mike, "keep us all updated after this." _

_He smiled softly. "It's been to long since I've seen the little lady."_

_~*End flashback*~_

It's also been around two weeks since we all met Marie. Well, since the guys and I had met her. Karen, Jen, and Rae had met her before us, when they all met up by themselves a few weeks ago.

That little girl is just adorable, she never sits down. That might be a bad thing though, because she went off wandering that day and scared her mother half to death. It all ended up fine though, because Marie came back and we all met her. She is a total sweetheart and I admit it, she has me wrapped around her little finger. She's just so lovable and sweet to everything and everyone, her innocence just adds to it.

Vic loved her the moment he saw her. He now calls her little lady and every time we see her (Which is more often now) he entertains her with stories of being part of the Teen Titans, since she absolutely loves the show they made of us. Gar does the exact same thing, but tells her his old corny jokes he loves to tell. She doesn't laugh at any of them, but he still tries, and sometimes succeeds in making her smile widely and giggle. Wally just demonstrates how fast he is, which Marie loves because she gets to try and find him when he hides from her.

For some reason though, she looks up to me the most. I asked Kori and she just smiled and said six simple words:

"She loves you because you're Robin."

She loves asking me what it was like being the leader and demands stories, which I think is so amusing. I tell her what really happened during her favorite episodes, which she explains by using hand motions, sounds and voices. It's those times that I seriously begin to wonder how she's so smart, she's only three and the intelligence she's showing is that of a five year old, if that.

Another thing is that Kori and Rae are extremely close now, even more than before. It's like they'd known each other their whole lives, what with them whispering to each other constantly. Rae is now incredibly protective of Kori and Marie, and is always shooting Kori… worried glances every once in a while. It's suspicious, since Rae's never like that, not even with Jen and Karen she's that way.

Now that I think about it, the only time she's ever been like that is when Starfire was around…

What is going on?

I shake my head as I walk in my office. I need to focus on work; there'll be time to analyze all this later. Kori is already there, answering calls and filling in paperwork, neat piles all around her on her desk. She heard me come in and turned to the door. Once she saw who it was, she smiled.

"Hey Richard," she told me simply. I smiled back and responded the same way. I sat in my own desk and called Kori. She looked up, her expression inquisitive.

"How's Marie?" I asked, the words coming out before I could stop them.

Kori just smiled. "She's fine. Of course, she's been asking where Mr. Robin was and when he was going to tell her his stories," she chuckled. "She really admires you, you know."

"Really?" I asked. She admired me?

"Yup," she said popping the p. She grinned and continued, "You're one of her favorite Titans," she reminded me.

I nodded, remembering when Marie herself told me that. Then idle curiosity crept into my head.

"Who's her #1 Titan?" I asked. Kori snapped up to meet my gaze and smiled sadly.

"Starfire," she murmured, a sad-like smile on her face.

I wasn't surprised. Marie had never been subtle in any way regarding who her favorite was. She would always point out Star every time she saw her, a smile on her face.

For some reason, instead of telling Kori that I had kind of always known, I lied. I don't even know why, but I did.

I put up a confused expression. "Really? Do you know why?" I asked, clearing my face of everything besides confusion.

Kori smirked — why would she smirk? — and put her head down, shaking it slightly, as if amused. After a few seconds she raised her head again, the smirk still on her face, and shrugged.

"I have no clue," she said responded simply, the smirk more pronounced.

I shook my head and sighed. Kori was confusing. I looked at her again, noticing she was looking at me, yet another amused look on her face.

"We should start on our work yeah?" I said, gesturing at the work on both of our desks. A small smirk appeared again on her face, and she nodded. The smirk turned into a small smile as she bowed her head and started working, and I just shook my head again. Too confusing.

I sighed but got going on the files in front of me.

~*WAYN*~

I finished all my work for the day quickly, seeing that it wasn't much. I sighed and relaxed in my chair, leaning back. I checked my watch and noticed the time. 11:42. Less than twenty minutes left until lunch. I leaned back further in my chair and looked over to Kori. She was working diligently, completely focused on the papers in front of her. She had her earphones plugged in, music most likely playing. I would tell her to not do that at work, but that was how she got things done, and if that's what it took her to work efficiently, then music it is.

I closed my eyes for a few minutes, relishing in the quiet, until my phone started vibrating. I opened an eye to look at it, and then opened both, picking it up. It was finally time to eat.

I stood up and stretched, walking over to Kori. I tapped her shoulder lightly and her head shot up. She sat up straight, and once she saw that it was me that had tapped her shoulder, she visibly relaxed and smiled. She took out her earphones and got up, also stretching slightly. She picked up her handbag, checking some things in there, and then we left, dutifully ignoring the stares we got because we were leaving together _again_.

We reached the parking lot and I turned to Kori. As I opened my mouth she raised a hand, silencing me, the other holding her phone. She was scrolling through it, and she finally looked up.

"We're eating with you guys today, Pizza Place," she informed me, answering the question I hadn't even asked yet. She began walking to her car, calling to me over her shoulder.

"Come on Richard!" She almost sang, climbing into the driver's seat as she did so. I felt a grin on my face and went to her car, getting in. It wasn't unusual to just get into one of our cars when all of us ate together for lunch, and so it wasn't a big deal.

The ride was spent with Kori humming under her breath to a song that was vaguely familiar, like I had heard it years before, but didn't remember it. For the life of me I couldn't remember it, but I didn't dare interrupt her, I wanted to hear it more, to see if I remembered it later on.

Unfortunately, I _didn't_ remember it by the time we got to the Pizza Place, and I just shook it out of my head. I'd remember it later.

Once we had our food, we went upstairs to the table, where Rae and Gar were already there. Kori immediately went over to Rae, sitting next to her. And so the hushed whispers between them began.

I sat next to Gar, and as soon as I had my food on the table in front of me, I nodded my head at the two women in front of me.

"You know what's up with Rae?" I whispered to him.

He shrugged and shook his head, looking confused but resigned. "You know how she is. She knows how to keep things to herself. That and there's no point in trying to understand women. They're confusing."

I hummed my consent at that, but my suspicion still bothered me. What are they hiding?

Karen and Vic came minutes later, Jenny and Wally following soon after. As soon as Karen and Jenny sat next to Kori and Rae, they finally stopped whispering and talked to everyone else.

Everything went fairly well. We all finished quite early and instead of leaving back to work, we stayed there for a little bit longer, just relaxing. Soon though, we had to go.

Kori and I said our goodbyes to everyone and started walking to her car. It hit me then, I was done with all my work today, and there were no meeting or conferences whatsoever planned today. I had the whole day off now.

I felt the grin on my face and called Kori. She looked confused at my happy expression, which only made me grin more.

"I finished all my work today, and there are no conferences today. I have the day off, meaning you do too."

Almost instantly she grinned, matching my own. She took out her phone and began talking, mostly to herself, while her eyes scanned the screen of her phone.

"It's 12:47, means I can pick up Marie right now because her naptime is over. That also means I can finally get her that ice cream she's been whining for." She finally looked up, visibly relaxed. She had a happy smile on her face, and she asked me, "You want to come?"

I nodded almost immediately. "Sure. I miss the little monster," I told her.

She laughed at the nickname I had given Marie and walked over to her car. I followed after her and soon we were on our way to pick up Marie.

Kori began fiddling with the stations when we were on the road, and finally settled on classical music. I raised an eyebrow and she just smiled serenely.

"For Marie. It calms her down," she said, the smile still there. I nodded and gazed out my window in thought. We spent the rest of the ride in silence, listening to the piano flow through the speakers.

Soon Kori stopped in front of a relatively small building. There was a play set to the right of it, surrounded by a large gate to keep the children safe and inside. Kori got out, and I followed, looking around as we walked to the entrance.

As soon as we walked in, Kori was greeted by everyone that was close. She smiled back and responded with the same greeting, then turned to walk to the front desk.

There, a young woman, about our age, was sitting. She was writing, completely focused on what she was doing. Kori leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder, and she started, looking up. She had long, wavy brown hair, and dark grey eyes.

She relaxed once she saw Kori, and smiled. "Hey Kor." Then her gaze shifted to me. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. "And who might this be?"

"Hi Selena. This is my boss Richard Grayson," Kori said, an edge to her voice. I looked to her, but she was looking at Selena, who now had an eyebrow raised to Kori.

Selena smiled and nodded to Kori, for what I'll never know. "It's nice to meet you Richard," she said, smiling politely at me. I smiled back and replied much the same way, slightly confused as to what had just happened.

Selena then reached for some papers on a clipboard and handed them to Marie.

"Here Kor. Sign these." She turned from the desk and called to another woman. "Anna, could you bring Marie over here? Kori's here." Anna, a blonde, nodded and went over to where Marie was, sitting on the carpeted ground with some dolls in her hands.

"Here," I heard Kori say. I looked back to where she was and saw her handing the clipboard and pen to Selena. Selena smiled and nodded.

"She's all yours now, good luck," Selena said, smiling. Kori laughed and nodded.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it. She's getting ice cream right now," She told her.

Selena laughed too. "Oh god, you're going to need more than just luck then."

Kori suppressed a laugh. "Yeah, I know right?"

It was at this time that Anna came back, holding Marie's right hand while the left held the two dolls she was playing with before. Once she saw me, she squealed.

"Mr. Richard!"

She ran up to me and wrapped her little arms around my neck. I hugged her back and then lifted her into the air, twirling her. She was shrieking and giggling the entire time, and when I let go she was practically glowing.

"Hi mommy!" She squealed again, running to her mother. Kori smiled and bent down to hug her, and they pulled away when Marie started giggling.

"What are you laughing about Marie?" I asked her.

She giggled again and held up the dolls she had in her hands. "Robin and Starfire!"

Then I saw them. She had Robin in her right hand and Starfire in the left. She beckoned us to come closer to her, and we obliged, Kori on her left and me to her right. We crouched down to her level and she grinned at us.

She took my right hand and put the Robin figurine in it, closing my fingers around it with her little hands. Then she turned to Kori. Already knowing what she wanted, Kori held out her left hand, and Marie smiled widely, small dimples showing on either side of her mouth. She put the Starfire figurine in her hand and also closed her fingers around it. She stepped back from us both and nodded to herself, as if satisfied.

I smiled at Marie, thinking this was adorable. She smiled widely in return. I turned to Kori though, and saw she had gone pale. She swallowed and smiled weakly at Marie, looking like she was trying not to freak out.

Why would she freak out over this?.

"Honey, why'd you put this in my hand?" Kori asked, gesturing towards the figurine held in her hand.

Marie focused her attention on her, looking at her as if the answer to the question was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Because mommy, you're Starfire."

I chuckled and reached out to ruffle Marie's hair. She cried out and raised her hands to cover her hair and swatted my hands away.

"Hey, who knows? Maybe your mom _is_ Starfire. Maybe Kori is just a disguise and she's been hiding from us all this entire time," I told the three year old, smiling. Marie's eyes widened and she turned to Kori, who looked like she had seen a ghost, again.

The color was returning to her face though, and she groaned. "Don't tell her that. Now she's going to be constantly asking me if I can fly and if my eyes will glow green." She gestured to her eyes. "Which I don't think is possible, since I'm stuck with blue."

I shook my head and laughed, picking up Marie and putting her on my hip. It was almost on instinct, I realized I had done that without a thought; I had just picked up Marie and put her on my hip like I'd been doing that for ages.

I shook my head, ridding myself of those thoughts. Why were they coming to me, when there was no reason for it? I shook my head again. I needed to stop overthinking about this.

I needed to stop overthinking, period. I was spending time with one of my friends and her adorable daughter, I needed to focus on this, not on some random thoughts going around in my head.

Kori was looking at me in concern, her head tilting to the side slightly. So much like Starfire…

I closed my head and forced those thoughts out of my head. No, I need to stop.

Kori Anders is _not_ Starfire, so why do I keep thinking about it?

**Yeeeeeeeaaaahh, I'm **_**really **_**sorry about the SUPERLONG wait, but here it is?**

**Ok, I have half of chapter 14 ready, all written down on paper because I don't have much access to my laptop anymore because of my grades .-.**

**I'll try to type the next chapter up and update it as soon as I can, but I sadly can't promise anything.:(**

**Any**_**ways**_**, here ya go, after the looooooong wait haha, thank you to the loyal readers who stuck with me and waited so long for this, I LOVE YOU.**

**Yeaaahh, bye.:)**


	14. Chapter 14

**ONE FOUR**

**Hey guys, toooold ya I'd write the next chapter soon.;)**

**K, onto the reviews.:)**

**Reviews****:  
><strong>**Random Guy****: Haha, I'm glad you love the story, and HEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRREEEEE you go.:D  
>P.S: Thanks for the review THE Random Drunk Dude<br>****clarkLover1****: I'm sorry for staying away for so long, it's just that my grades aren't that good right now and yeeeaaahh. AWW THANK YOU! You're so nice, thank thank thank yooooouuuuuu  
><strong>**kimminightwing****: Haha, sorry but you're going to have to wait a BIT longer for that.:D My grades are HORRIBLE, I admit it, ugh. Thank you, and I really hope I can pick em up.:)  
><strong>**kori and richard grayson****: I'm glad you liked it.:) Thank you so much, and here is the next chapter.:)  
><strong>**lalala16****: aww thank you! Well, I'm continuing it right now, for all you people's enjoyment :)**

**Chapter 1  
>Starfire # 1<strong>**: Haha, very very true. It cannot be denied, and it will not EVER :P**

**Chapter 2****  
><strong>**Starfire #2****: You'll figure that out later, if you haven't already.:D**

**Chapter 5  
>Starfire #3<strong>**: I like your idea, hm… maybe later in the story. I'll have to tweak it a little bit, but I'll most likely use it.:)**

**Chapter 8  
>Starfire #4<strong>**: Oh, there'll be drama later on, trust me.:D**

**Chapter 11  
>Starfire #5<strong>**: Oh no it's fine; all that matters to me is that you took the time to review this, so thank YOU. Lol, I'm supposed to be restricted from anything electronic because of my grades, but I still find a way around it.:D**

**Chapter 12  
>Starfire #6<strong>**: Te gusto? YAY. Haha, I'm a Mexicana too :D**

**Chapter 13  
>Starfire#7<strong>**: Thank you, and here is the next chapter.:)**

**Ok, those are all the reviews I saw before I posted this up, so I'm sorry if I didn't include anyone. It's just that I wanted to get this out as soon as I possibly could. **

**FOR YOU, ALL OF YOU.**

**Haha, anyways, on with the story.:)**

Chapter 14

As soon as Kori had said ice cream, Marie was running to the car, bouncing up and down in front of the car door.

"Ice cream ice cream ice cream!" Marie kept chanting, and while Kori put Marie in her car seat, I sat down in front and waited for her to start the car.

"I know Marie, ice cream," Kori was saying, incredibly patient. "Now let me put on your seatbelt so we can go get ice cream, okay?"

I looked back to see Marie nodding and obediently staying still. As soon as the seatbelt was on, Marie started mumbling ice cream all over again.

"What's you favorite flavor Marie?" I asked her, turning in my seat to look back at Marie.

She looked up at me and smiled widely. Then she started talking. "I like mint n' chip and chocolate and rocky road and vanilla and strawberry and sherbet and cotton candy and…"

She kept talking, rattling off many flavors, which distracted her from the long ride to the ice cream shop. I looked to Kori, and saw that she was just looking straight ahead, an unreadable expression on her face. We had stopped at a stoplight and she was still staring ahead, so I just tapped her on the shoulder lightly.

I saw her tense up, and her eyes immediately closed her eyes. She let out a breath and opened them about five seconds later. (I swore I saw her eyes glow slightly later on when I was alone.)

She saw me and relaxed, smiling at me.

"Sorry, just was thinking again," she told me, pointing to her head. I nodded and smiled back, and in the background Marie was _still_ naming flavors.

"… and pecan swirl and dark cherry and cookies n' cream and chocolate chip and…"

Kori pointed at me, getting my attention. Once she saw I was looking at her, she pointed to the radio. 'Watch,' she mouthed, turning on the radio again. Classical music came through the speakers once again.

Marie slowly stopped talking, and when she completely stopped, I looked back to see she was staring out her window, humming along to the music, looking as if she'd been doing that the entire time.

I turned back to Kori, the surprise and shuck clear on my face. She was looking at the road, and just smirked at me, probably knowing what my face was showing already. "Mhm."

I looked back to Marie and saw that she was still humming along to the music. She was entirely calm, no erratic movements, nothing. I settled back in my seat, impressed.

As soon as we arrived at the ice cream shop, Marie started bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Ice cream ice cream ice cream!" she squealed, jumping out of the car as soon as Kori had unbuckled her. I caught her before she could run, and she just climbed onto my back. One she was settled, she wrapped her arms around my neck and I automatically grabbed onto her legs so she wouldn't fall. Before I knew it, I was giving her a piggy back ride.

"Ice cream!" Marie announced, pointing to the shop excitedly.

I just chuckled and jumped a little, making Marie squeal and giggle, her arms holding on tighter.

I turned around back to where Kori was, at the car, Marie still giggling on my back. I saw she had a fond smile on her face, watching us both.

"Mommy!" Marie exclaimed, reaching out towards her.

"C'mon Kori," I told her, "Let's go get this monster her ice cream."

Kori finally responded, nodding with a small smile on her face as she walked up to us.

"Yes, let's."

~*WAYN*~

Kori had gotten a simple vanilla cone while Marie and I got mint n chip, and Marie had the leftovers of the ice cream still on her face when she was finished eating it.

She skipped to the car and waited at the backseat door for us as soon as Kori and I had finished our own ice cream, and called out to us.

"Mr. Robin! Mommy! Hurry!"

I chuckled. "We're coming sweetheart, be patient!" I called back. I saw Marie pout and I chuckled again.

Kori and I walked to her car and while Kori buckled Marie in, I sat down in the passenger's seat and waited patiently.

"Marie, guess where we're going right now," Kori told her while she was adjusting the car seat's bets around her. I turned around to look at them both, wanting to see Marie's reaction.

Marie looked up inquisitively, her eyes questioning. "Where?"

"Well, remember you wanted to go to the park last week…" she trailed off, looking at her daughter. Marie gasped and her eyes widened in realization

"The park!" She looked up at her mother, pure excitement in her eyes. "The park mommy?"

Kori grinned and nodded. Marie squealed and started jumping up and down in her seat. "Park park park park park!"

I chuckled and turned back around to face the front again as Kori sat in the driver's seat. As soon as the car started moving, I turned back around to the backseat.

"How about we sing some songs Marie?" I asked her, smiling.

Her face lit up even more, if that were even remotely possible. She nodded enthusiastically and I chuckled again.

And so that's how we spent to the whole drive singing nursery rhymes. We had all the windows down and we were singing at the top of our lungs, and eventually we had Kori sing along too. We had just been singing the wheels on the bus when we got to the park.

"…all through the town!" Marie started giggling uncontrollably, Kori following close behind. She had already parked, so she rested her head on the steering wheel, her body shaking because of her laughter. I started laughing too, and soon none of us could stop.

I was the first to have the laughter die down, so I calmed down as much as I could and looked over to Kori. She had leaned back on her seat and had both hands on her stomach, trying not to laugh again. She had a humongous grin on her face and she looked _happy_.

I smiled. What mattered to me was that the people close to me be happy. And right now Kori was happy, which meant that I was happy.

I was about to look away from her and outside, but then something on her head caught my attention.

"Hey Kor, do you have red hair?" I asked her. She had a strand of red hair on her head; the sun was hitting it and making it stand out.

Kori went still for half a second and she opened her eyes to look at me.

"No, I don't. Why?"

I pointed to her head. "You have a strand of red hair."

Her hands went up and covered the top of her head. "What?"

"You have a strand of red hair," I said slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"Where?" She asked me. She seemed calm, but I could sense she was slightly… panicky?

Why would she be panicked?

I shook my head, ridding the thought that always came up in my head every time I was around Kori. Instead I reached out and gently grabbed the strand of hair, in case it was attached to her head, and pulled it away from her scalp so she could see it. Before I had even pulled it to its full length Kori already had it between her fingers.

She examined it carefully before one of her hands reached up to her head again, her eyes never straying from the strand. She stayed like that for around two seconds, looking like she was weighing her options (options for what, I'll never know), before finally sighing and looking at me.

"I don't know where it came from honestly. I don't have red hair, I've always had black hair." She pulled at the strand, taking it away from her head. "See? Not mine. And plus, if I had red hair, Marie would have red hair too."

I looked back at Marie, who was staring at the both of us inquisitively. She had her head tilted slightly and her eyes were slightly narrowed. She looked at me then, her eyes looking straight at mine.

She had black hair, making her green eyes stand out from her light face. Kori black hair also, but had tanned skin, a skin color that she was born with, whereas Marie was light skinned, and she had blue eyes. Their only common physical appearance was the hair, I realized. They didn't have the same nose or the same eye shape. Marie had a slight widow's peak, while Kori didn't.

She looked like her father.

Thing was, who was her father?

I turned to Kori, who was looking at me with an unreadable expression. I looked straight into her eyes and calmly said, "Let's go outside, yeah?"

I got out of the car and went around to where Marie was sitting at. She looked up at me when I opened the door, an almost identical expression on her face as her mother. Her head tilted to the side, her eyes narrowing slightly once again. Wordlessly, she lifted her arms so I could take off her belts and carry her.

Once I had her out of the car and on my hip, I looked over to the driver's seat. Kori had her eyes closed, and she looked… pained. I closed the back door and went over to the driver's side, opening the door. Kori still had her eyes closed, but her face had smoothed out. It was a neutral expression.

She opened her eyes and looked over to Marie and me. Her face was calm, but her eyes couldn't hide what she was feeling. The emotional pain in her eyes shined through as she looked at me.

Marie seemed to notice her mother's mood, and she reached out a small hand towards her face. I leaned in and let her touch Kori's face, and as soon as her hand touched Kori's cheek, her eyes closed and she let out a breath.

I looked at Marie and saw her brow furrowed, clear concern in her eyes as she stared at her mother. "Mommy?"

Kori opened her eyes immediately, focusing on Marie. Her eyes softened as she looked at her, and she smiled weakly.

"Yeah baby?"

Marie just looked at her. She looked at me and then back at Kori, and finally back at me. Her eyes almost shouted, 'do something!' I sighed and put my free hand on Kori's shoulder.

"C'mon Kor, let's go to the park." I gave her a meaningful look and stepped away from the door so she could step out.

Kori sighed and stepped out, looking slightly stressed. She closed the car and nodded to herself. She started walking towards the play set, and so I followed her.

I've never been to the park for anything besides running, and even then I just focused on running. So I just followed Kori, standing next to her as she led us inside.

As soon as the playground appeared, Marie started bouncing up and down, excited. "Down down down!" she demanded, trying to get on the floor herself. I chuckled and put her down and she shot of like a rocket towards the swings.

I turned to Kori and gestured for her to follow me. I found a bench close to where Marie was playing and sat down, and Kori sat down next to me.

I sighed. "Look, I know I have no right to ask about this, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to. But what happened to Marie's father?"

She froze, looking at nothing and everything. She turned her head to look at me and I saw a smile twisted by regret and pain on her face. She laughed humorlessly. She looked down again and I saw a resentful smirk form on her face. "Nothing happened to her father. He's perfectly healthy, sane, and alive."

My brow furrowed. "Then why…"

Kori laughed humorlessly again. This time I detected some bitterness in her tone. "He doesn't know."

Realization dawned on my face. "Oh."

It was like a dam had broken, Kori just began to just let it all go. "He doesn't know. He doesn't even _know_ he has a daughter Richard, and I _know _that he would be over the moon if he ever knew, but I just _can't._ I _can't_ tell him. He had such a bright future ahead of him when I found out I was pregnant, and I knew that if I told him he would be happy — I know he would've, he always wanted to have children — but he would've abandoned everything he had going for him. He would've abandoned everything for me. And I loved him just too much to have that happen. So I left. That was four years ago, and even now it hurts to even think about him, to know that I'm the reason why he's broken, I'm the one that broke his heart. But I had to do it; I couldn't just stand by and watch him give up everything he had just for me. He had such a bright future Richard, _so_ bright, you have no idea. And Marie looks so much like him—" She choked back a sob, but continued. "She acts like him, talks like him, and it hurts so much because I love him, I've always loved him, but I couldn't do that to him. I just couldn't."

She took in a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm down. "And I try to keep myself in check whenever I'm around Marie because she's too young to understand any of this, but sometimes it's just so _hard_." She took a deep breath again and closed her eyes. She opened them again and looked at me in the eye.

"Please don't say anything to Marie. I don't want her to know about any of this, she's too young for it. I know I'll have to someday, when she starts asking questions, but for now I want her to have a childhood free of worries." She took both my hands in hers. "Please promise me you're not going to tell her anything," she begged me.

I nodded immediately. "There's no way I'm ever going to tell her anything of what you just told me. You're her mother, you have the right to tell her what you want and don't want to, not me."

Kori chuckled again, the bitterness coming back. "What?" I asked her.

She just shook her head, a bitter smirk on her face. "Nothing."

I just nodded and I looked over to the playground. Marie was sitting on one of the swings, staring at us. I nudged Kori and nodded over to where Marie was and she smiled, her face softening.

"You want to go now baby?" she called. In response Marie climbed off the swing and ran over to us, climbing in between us. She looked up at the both of us, gauging our facial expressions. Once she saw everything was fine again, she grinned and nodded, reaching for me.

I looked at Kori, wondering if it was okay with her if I carried her, but she was just looking at Marie with a sort of fondness only mothers can have. I figured it was alright to carry her, so I picked her up and stood up, Kori following close behind.

I put her in her seat, carefully buckling all the belts around her. After that was done, I got in the front and sat down. Kori was already in the driver's seat and as soon as I had closed the door she started the car and started to drive away from the park.

We soon arrived at Wayne Enterprises, and when the car had stopped I opened the car door and stepped out.

"Thanks for letting me go along with you Kor," I told her sincerely. I absolutely loved Marie, and spending time with her was just the best.

Kori nodded and smiled. "Don't mention it Richard. Marie loves you, so either way you'd be coming along." She turned in her seat to look at her daughter. "Marie, Richard has to go now, say bye," she said softly.

Marie looked away from the window, her eyes wide at where she was. She's never been here, I realized. That makes sense why she's looking around like that. "Bye Mr. Richard," she said, waving her little hand.

I smiled and waved back, and then turned to Kori. "I'll see you tomorrow then," I told her, and she nodded.

"Yup." She smiled at me. "Bye Richard."

I smiled back. "Bye Kori."

I stepped away from the car and watched as Kori started the car once more and drove away. I smiled to myself and walked over to my own car. Overall, today was a good day.

**Ugh, I know, bad ending. But I had to end it somewhere didn't I?**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I REALLY liked writing this one, it was fun.:3**

**It's a miracle in itself that I'm updating right now, seeming as I'm currently in finals week and I have a BIG pile of work to do, but robstar591 encouraged me to finish this chapter now. So yeah, go thank her. She deserves it.:)**

**ANYWAYS**

**I've started posting updates on my stories and stuff on my profile, so you guys will know roughly when the nest chapter is coming up or how long I'm going to be MIA again.  
>(sorry bout that…)<strong>

**Kay, back to diving into work.**

**ADIOS MY FRIENDS**


	15. Chapter 15

**THE BIG FIFTEEN**

**Don't kill me D:**

**I never have time for my fanfics anymore, and I can never find the inspiration to finish the chapters most of the time :(**

**BUT, I will NOT, I repeat, N O T be abandoning these stories. No matter what I go through, I will keep updating this fanfic and my other one until they are done.**

**…and maybe posting more…**

**I hope you guys can forgive me, but updating will be significantly harder for me now, since now I have to work my ass off in school because it's my senior year and I can't slack off for ANYTHING.**

**I'll try incredibly hard to post more often, but I sadly can't make any promises**

**Sorry? :/**

**Anyways, time for reviews.**

**ClarkLover1: You know cliffhangers are the best kind of endings though, and you liked it too so WOO FOR ME :D**  
><strong>kori and Richard grayson: sorry for the looooooooooooooooonngg wait, but here ya go!:) and thanks, I appreciate that :))<strong>  
><strong><span>kimminightwing<span>: aww, don't blame Marie, she's just doing her job at being the adorable 3 year old daughter she is ad interrupting her parents haha :)**  
><strong>I made you cry?! Oh I'm so sorry honey, don't be sad, it'll definitely get better soon :)<strong>  
><strong><span>TriniPrincess<span>: I'm glad for that too, I wanted to do it after the tenth chappie, but thought it was too soon. And last chapter was the perfect opportunity so it happened.:) that's not exactly going to happen soon, sadly. It'll happen later on, of course, but not so soon.:/ Guess you'll just have to keep reading, huh? :)**  
><strong><span>ashwater<span>: aww thanks.:) sorry for the long delay, but enjoy.:)**  
><strong><span>robstarfan504<span>: oh well thank you *bows* haha. You're welcome, I hope you have fun on this site!:) Oh trust me, they were BAD. Thankfully I passed that year, so I'm good now, nothing but bad memories now :) I was happy to review to all of them, you made me smile with each one haha. So sorry for the loooong delay, but here it finally is, so enjoy!**  
><strong><span>lalala16<span>: School was keeping me busy sadly, school is STILL keeping me bus *sighs* Nah I'm not in college, still in high school *sigh*. I'm a senior right now, I was a junior last year, which was when I had all that work :/ No it's fine, I don't mind the questions :) Thank you for reviewing!**  
><strong><span>Magicchalkdust<span>: so sorry, school isn't letting me :/ Here's the new chapter though, enjoy!**

**Chapter 13:**

**robstarfan504: aww, no problem sweetie, all your reviews encouraged me to write it, so you did deserve it. :) Well I'm glad you're not gonna die, I don't want a murder on my hands lol :p Enjoy!**

**Ok, that's all for the reviews, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and to everyone that still read this.**

**I love every single one of you for _still_ reading this even though I never review as often anymore, you all hold a special place in my heart :)))))**

**Ok, enough with all the mushy stuff, time for a new chapter!**

Chapter 15

As soon as we had gotten home, Marie skipped over to her room, sensing that I wanted to be alone.

"I'll be in my room, mommy!" I heard her call out over her shoulder as the door closed shut behind her. I chuckled briefly before sighing and throwing my keys and bag on the arm of the couch, slumping on the couch right next to them. I put my head in my hands and berated myself with the questions that had plagued my mind as soon as I had finished telling Robin everything.

'What did I just do? Why did I tell him all that? Why?'

In my distressed state of mind, there was only person I could talk to this about. I found myself whipping out my phone and dialing the number before I could even process what was happening.

"Hello?"

"Raven, help me," I immediately said, not even thinking about it

"What's wrong Kori?" I heard again, this time more concerned. She only called me Kori when there were other people around; Gary must be close by, the back of my head noted.

"I told Robin," was all I could say, the panic and increasing fear of just the thought of Robin putting all the pieces together and figuring everything out preventing me from saying any more.

There was silence on the other side of the line for a minute before I heard shuffling and a door being closed.

"Starfire you did what."

And then the dam of emotions just broke. "I told Robin about Marie's father, about _himself_, and why she doesn't have her father around and why I never told him and—"

"Star, Star, calm down! I'll be over in a few minutes, just breathe and do something besides freak out, alright?"

I nodded but then realized that Raven wouldn't see it, so I hummed my consent and got up and started pacing.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, don't freak out," she repeated for emphasis, to which I just hummed again to.

"Okay, I'll be waiting then," I told her, still pacing. I hung up then and went to the kitchen. If I was going to be jumpy, then I might as well do something productive and make some snacks.

Rachel's POV

As soon as Starfire had hung up, Rachel immediately went to the door of her room, where she had gone into to so they could talk properly, and opened it. She swiftly went to the door, grabbing her keys and making sure she had her wallet and phone in her purse, and made to open the door, but stopped by the sound of her husband's voice.

"Where you going, Rae?"

She turned around to face him and raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to visit Kori, why?" she said slowly.

He didn't answer right away, instead he just looked at her, kind of like he was analyzing her. "You and her are really close aren't you." Answered a question with a question.

Rachel crossed her arms, her raised eyebrow not moving an inch. "You could say I'm good friends with her I suppose, yes. What's with the questions?"

Gary just continued with looking at her as if he were trying to figure something out, and she hoped that whatever he was trying to figure out was nothing related to Starfire. After a few seconds he spoke again, and he said exactly ten words that startled her.

"You treat Kori the exact same way you treated Starfire."

Rachel felt all the blood drain from her face, but either way kept up with the act. She got into a defensive body position and raised both eyebrows, staring at her spouse.

"What? How in the world do I treat Kori like how I used to treat Starfire?"

Gary shrugged. "I don't know really, it's just how you acted around Star. You never had patience for any of us, we all knew that, but with Star you at least tried to not be annoyed. You were just closer to her than anyone else is what I'm trying to say."

"And you're saying that I act that same way towards Kori?"

A nod. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

Rachel shook her head and chuckled. "Gary, did you really just stop me so you could point out that I treat Kori the same way I used to treat Starfire? Really?"

He resumed his analytical stare, which disconcerted her slightly, but she didn't let it show. "No, I didn't bring it up only because of that. Rae, I brought it up because Kori acts like Star too. She reminds us all of her too. I honestly don't know what's going on here since we all know that Star is dead now, whether we want to admit it or not. She has been for four years now. There's no possible way she would've left, and if she got kidnapped, there's literally no chance she's still alive. Like I said, _four years._ But one thing I know for sure is that you treat Kori like she's Starfire 2.0."

In the back of her mind, she thought 'If you just gave into the possibility that Star could be alive, you'd realize that Marie's age and the time Star has been MIA are the same. Still not smart I see.' She rolled her eyes, both at the thought and as a response to Gary before she spoke.

"I do _not _treat Kori like she's Starfire 2.0 Garfield. I treat her like the person she is, and excuse _me_ for trying to become friends with someone for the first time in years, I didn't know there was a rule forbidding me to ever be friends with someone like how I was with Starfire. But I honestly don't care; I can be friends with whoever I want." She grabbed her purse again, keys dangling on the tips of her fingers. "Now, if there's nothing else you want to tell me, I'm late to go visit my friend _Kori_." She opened the door and slammed it behind her, taking a few deep, calming breaths before walking to her car and driving away, completely aware of the eyes staring at her as she left the house.

~*WAYN*~

As soon as she arrived at the door, Marie opened it and squealed.

"Auntie Rae!" She launched herself at the woman, who caught her in her arms easily, having gone through this enough times before.

"Hey kiddo. Where's your mommy?"

Marie pointed over to Kori's door and looked at Rachel again. "Mommy's in her room," she said helpfully, nodding to herself, suddenly serious. The joyful expression was gone; instead a troubled and slightly worried one took its place.

So much like her father.

Rachel sighed. She shook that thought out of her head and unread focused on what was at hand.

Bouncing Marie slightly on her hip, she told the three year old, "Go play in your room kiddo, I'll be with you in a minute." She put her down on the floor and she skipped over to her room with new enthusiasm, waving at Rachel with a childish grin on her face before shutting the door.

Rachel chuckled and then sighed. And so much like her mother, too.

She could feel the rising anxiety coming off Starfire in waves walking to her door, the intensity rising as well. She knocked lightly.

"Star? Can I come in?"

"Yes." Came the curt reply.

Rachel opened the door and stepped in, closing the door silently behind her. She turned around to see Starfire pacing back and forth, looking so stressed and annoyed at herself that it propelled her to pace faster, going too fast for a human.

"Star, come here," Rachel said, sitting down on the bed. Said person sighed and sat down next to the other woman.

"I don't know what to do Rae," she said, looking flustered and stressed.

"How about you start from the beginning and then we go from there?" Rachel suggested, waiting for the other to begin.

Starfire looked over to her, her smile teasing. "From the _very_ beginning?"

Rachel just rolled her eyes. "Quit stalling and tell me Starfire."

Realizing her attempts to stall weren't working (when have they _ever _worked on her, she thought to herself), she sighed and nodded.

"Fine. From the very beginning."

~*WAYN*~

Kori's POV:

"… and now here we are, with me freaking out and mentally kicking myself for even _saying_ that, nevertheless to him. The one person I vowed to myself that I'd never tell." I looked next to me and sighed. "Well, one of the four people I vowed I'd never tell. That definitely failed on me, didn't it?"

Meanwhile, Raven was quiet the entire time listening to my current issue, only nodding every once in a while to let me know she was still listening. When she finally spoke, it was simple what she said.

"It wasn't your fault."

I had been looking at the door, listening to make sure Marie wasn't trying to eavesdrop on mommy and Auntie Rae. She's tried it before. Once I heard those words I had whipped my head towards Raven, confused.

"What?"

"You heard me," she just said, looking at me. This just made me even more confused.

"Care to elaborate Raven?"

"Simple. It's not your fault you told him that. Repressed, bottled up feelings like that and held down for as long as you've been keeping them were bound to come back up sooner or later. It just so happened that the person you talked all of those feelings to was Robin. Something triggered you to open up and confess it all to him, and from what you told me, it was because of how he is with Marie, how easily he fits into her life and how he acts like the potential father he can be whenever he's around her. As long as you don't give him a reason to suspect who you really are, all that you told him will pass through his head as you being a single mother by choice that had her child at sixteen. Nothing more, nothing less. You'll be fine Star, stop freaking out over nothing."

I just stared at her, open mouthed. "Are you a psychiatrist?"

Raven chuckled at that. "Oh no, it's just these empathy powers doing that. I'd never be able to deal with all the emotions and jumbled up troubled thoughts that job brings on a daily basis. I can barely keep up with all of you."

I just laughed at that. That was true; we were a pretty weird group. We stayed quiet for a few seconds, just thinking to ourselves, before Raven spoke.

"So," She said, breaking the silence with what I already knew she was going to say and what I dreaded to be faced with.

"What are you going to do now?"

* * *

><p><strong>I know I know, it's a filler chapter and it's not enough after the incredibly long wait I made you guys suffer through, but next chapter is going to be better, trust me. :)<strong>

**Sooo**  
><strong>PLEASE review and don't be afraid to chew me out for updating THIS late, I deserve it, dontcha think?<strong>  
><strong>So yeah. BYE<strong>

**PS: merry belated Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukah, and every other holiday that I missed the entire time I didn't update, I hope you all had good holidays. :)))**


	16. Chapter 16

**SWEET SIXTEEN**

**Omg I'm so sorry guys, this chapter was kicking my ass and literally I got inspired on Saturday and finished it all during the weekend. I ended up combining two different plots I had started writing (but never finished) for this chapter and ended up with ****_this_****.**

**This is kind of in the style of those climactic episodes on TV where the camera just goes back and forth between scenes until at the end where the most dramatic thing happens and yeah**

**I loved writing this. All it took was a trip to my grandparents' house to finally finish this thing ugh**

**ON TO REVIEWS:  
><strong>**kimminightwing:**** I'm so sorry, but I promise now that I'm going to be done with school that I'll update a lot more often in the summer. :) Hope you enjoy this incredibly overdue chapter bc this was fun to write haha  
><strong>**hello dere:**** Aw I'm glad you like this story, here ya go, and thank you for reviewing :)  
><strong>**lalala16:**** Thank yoouu and I hope you enjoyed your holidays :)  
><strong>**kori and richard grayson:**** Thank you and here you go, please enjoy!  
><strong>**nnunerley:**** Still in progress but here's the next chapter :)  
><strong>**Guest:**** Perdoname, pero aqui esta lo que sigue, disfrutalo :)  
><strong>**HorsemanOTA:**** Thank you and here's the next chapter, enjooooy**

**Chapter 1:  
><strong>**Hayhay12:**** I hope you stay hooked then haha, here ya gooo**

**(This chapter is going to be a switch of POV's ok, I'm not going to label which POV is who's but I'll try and make each one obvious for you guys)**

**(PSS: all POV's are going to be in first person ok keep reading)**

I just _knew_ that Starfire was alive, I knew it!

Mike had just called me minutes ago, telling me that he had really important news on Star. Before he could even finish I told him to meet me in front of the gates of the manor as soon as possible and hung up.

So now here I was five minutes later, waiting for my personal private detective to arrive. I refused to think that the news were going to be bad; if I started thinking those thoughts now, I'd be starting to doubt all the time I spent looking for her, and then I'd start doubting that she was even _alive_. So no, it's safe to say that those thoughts aren't welcome.

I sighed. Where is he? I was about to look at my watch when I noticed a sleek black mustang come up the long driveway. I frowned. Bruce left for a business trip three days ago and said he would be gone for more than a week, so this person —whoever they were— isn't here for him. The only person I was expecting was Mike and his white Camry, and no one I know personally owns a car like _that_. I arranged my face into a neutral calm and put my guard up, not knowing who was going to come out of that car.

~*WAYN*~

Stress stress stress.

Worry worry worry.

That's all I've been feeling recently, and I'm sick and tired of it. I feel like I'm a prisoner, trying to find an escape and never finding one.

I'm incredibly paranoid now, always thinking that today might be the day that Robin finds out the truth. Raven has helped me with my rising anxiety, coming to my apartment during our lunch break and meditating with me every once in a while. And it helped, it has, but it hasn't helped for long. Eventually I'll go back to being restless and over thinking things, and it's always the same.

Like now, I was supposedly relaxing on my day off. Robin had said we both deserve a week off and that we would feel more rested and willing to work when we got back. So of course I would spend that entire break pacing in my living room wouldn't I.

Of course.

July was almost over, which meant the overload was just about to begin. Marie was starting school August 18th, Wally and Jen's wedding is September 15th, Marie's birthday is September 13th, the final fittings for the bridesmaid dresses are in late August, Jen has named me her maid of honor, and the best part is that Robin is the best man.

They do this on purpose, I know they do. They all (excluding Raven because she knows the truth but even then she wants the same outcome to some extent) want Kori and Dick to be a couple, to have him get over Starfire and move on.

If I hadn't wanted the same thing I would've been offended at the fact that they're so persistent on Robin moving on from me. But I also get them, since I've seen first hand how hellbent he is on finding me. He even hired a freaking private detective for god's sake.

Ha, add _that _to the list of things stressing me out. Apparently the private detective he hired is one of the best, and that's alarming. He could find me at any time, and is just helping my panic build up extraordinarily.  
>I fell on the couch, sighing. I still had an hour and a half left before I went to pick up Marie, so I might as well relax for a while.<p>

I closed my eyes and was about to drift off when I heard her voice.

~*WAYN*~

I parked my car and stayed in there for a while, thinking.

I want to help Star more, I really do, because I know the meditations only help her so much. I sighed.

I came to see her as a surprise, to help her relax more than with just the meditations. I know she still has more than an hour left before she has to pick up Marie, and she has a few days off of work so she's cooped up at home pacing. I chuckled. I know how stressed she is, and she always paces when she gets like this.

About a minute later I finally got out, closing the car and walking up the stairs to the apartment. I lowered my emotional barrier to sense how Starfire was doing, when I noticed she was… scared?

I kept going up the stairs slowly, waiting so I could get a gist of how she was feeling better. She was terrified, furious, suspicious, and then I realized something else.

She wasn't alone.

~*WAYN*~

I saw her sag against the sofa and smirked. Oh, all the trouble she was going to have to deal with once she realized what I was going to do. Lets see how much it'll take till she cracks. All the worries she was stressing over now would be nothing compared to what I'm going to do to her and her precious Robin. Ooh, and that little daughter of theirs too, she's going to be the best part in all of this. My revenge is going to go along very nicely.

I smiled.

Let the fun begin.

~*WAYN*~

"Aw, is little Starfire stressed? Poor little girl, that must be _horrible_."

My eyes snapped open and I shot up and out of the couch, my eyes blazing.

"What are you doing here," I hissed, fear and anger overpowering me. This couldn't be, she was supposed to be forever in prison, how in the world did she get out?

She waved off the question, shrugging. "Eh, I pulled some strings, got out, and viola. Here I am. But sh," she put her finger to her lips, smiling, "it's a secret."

She came closer to me. "But enough about me, lets talk about _you_." She leaned in and whispered, "That daughter of yours is adorable by the way, when were you going to tell me about her? _So_ much like her father, though I think you know that much."

I pushed her away from me, her back hitting the wall. "Don't talk about my daughter," I snarled, my anger rising.

She just laughed. _Laughed_. She brushed herself off and stood up again and smirked. "You act like I was never going to find out about her darling, how funny! Of course I was! And how _polite_ she is, I've never met such a curious little girl. I had to tell her who I was to get her to talk to me, but it all worked out in the end now didn't it."

"Unless you want to be blasted out of this apartment I suggest you stop talking about my daughter," I said, my tone low.

She smiled again. "But Kori can't do that, she's just a simple ol' human!" She paused, looking into my eyes and smirking again. "You_ are _Kori, aren't you?"

My eyes began to glow even brighter and she laughed again, sounding delighted. "But enough teasing, time to talk about the serious part." A predatory smile came across her face. "Lets talk about Robin and that little girl of yours. So close yet so far away, isn't he? Oh, how That's going to change for you. And Marie, she's so cute I might just take her for myself, what do you think?"

"Don't you _dare _lay a hand on Marie," I hissed, fear gripping my heart. And what did she mean about Robin?

"Darling, the end has just begun for you, I'm afraid." She flipped her hair out of the way, the chilling smile never leaving her face. "And to answer your questions, I may or may not have dappled a bit into dark magic while I was away and can now do more than before. Like reading minds, teleporting, and oh, this." She started changing in front of my eyes, and I watched on, horrified, as she became me, but as Starfire. She changed my original outfit into something provocative and form fitting and my hair from straight to curly, and soon enough I was staring into a redheaded mirror.

She turned from side to side, admiring herself. "What do you think? Thought your outfit needed a bit more pizazz, and your hair was too bland, so I jazzed it up!" She turned to me, still smiling.

"Ah, but it looks like question time has ended before it has begun. Our time together has run out. Your friend is coming up the stairs, and I have to go meet our favorite boy and I'm already running a bit late. Can't keep him waiting you know, it'd be rude. What with the four years he spent looking for you already."

Her smile became ferocious. "Goodbye, sister dear."

~*WAYN*~

Whoever was in the car stayed for a while there, and my paranoia went higher. Who was this person? I was about to walk over to the car and see who it was when the driver stepped out and went to open the back door, holding a hand out for the person in the car. I frowned once more.

Who is this mystery person?

~*WAYN*~

I ran up the steps and opened the door with a wave of my hand, storming into the apartment. Starfire was floating in midair, her stance like a warrior but her face crumpled in terror.

"Starfire, what happened?" I demanded. Pushing her back down to the ground. She sagged and looked me in the eyes, her now green eyes filled with fear.

"Blackfire."

~*WAYN*~

I appeared in the car and smirked. Oh, how nicely everything was turning out. I looked at my new face to check that everything was in order for a few seconds, waiting. The car door finally opened and my driver held out a hand for me. I arranged my expression into a calm, reassuring smile and stepped out of the car, a white coat i had created at last second around my shoulders.

It has begun.

~*WAYN*~

I saw a small hand reach out and touch the chauffeur's hand, and then the person —a female, I realized— stepped out. She had long, curly red hair, tanned skin, and when she turned to face me, I noticed she had almost glowing green eyes.

My eyes widened. No, it couldn't be, this isn't real, she's not real.

Starfire was staring right at me.

* * *

><p><strong>DON'T HATE ME I'M SO SORRY<strong>  
><strong>(This chapter is my favorite as of now this was so funheartbreaking to write)**  
><strong>PLEASE REVIEW AND DON'T HATE ME SORRY AGAIN BYE<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**ONE SEVEN**

**WOO IM BACK DID YA MISS ME**

**Hi y'all, I got another chapter fresh out the oven and ready to be served mhmm. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this far you are all lovely and I really hope you have wonderful lives because yes.**

**I'm going through my first year of college okay guys, I will not be able to update frequently (it's not like I do that currently but regardless) because of all the work I have to do, no matter how much I may want to procrastinate sigh. But I **_**have**_** written the next two chapters in advance for this fic and I'll post them and write the rest whenever I have time to take a breather okay? Stick with me here guys, we got a big storm comin'.**

**Kay time for reviews****  
><strong>**Guest:**** thank you so much! Here's the next one, enjoyyyy  
><strong>**kimminightwing:**** um, well not exactly….  
><strong>**HorsemanOTA:**** oh don't worry about the language haha I'm worse whoops. Yes eventually things will work out but it will take a lot of time, and lord knows I can't seem to stop writing this fic so oops. Hm I'd tell you what he does and how he reacts to "Starfire", but it would spoil this chapter and I don't think you want that sooo I'll let my crappy writing do the job for me haha enjoyyy  
><strong>**Frozenstar17:**** aww thank you so much for taking the time to read this! Of course I'll continue, and to prove it here's the next one enjoyyy  
><strong>**TraitorousFreshman15:**** aw it's a cliffhanger so readers will stay hooked my dear ;)  
><strong>**jenny868:**** hm not exactly, but in a way you're also right, so I guess you'll have to keep reading to understand what I'm telling you huh? ;)  
><strong>**lalala16:**** awwww omg thank you very much! I hope I still can amaze you with this, thank you again :)  
><strong>**LOVER29:**** then wait no longer! The next one is OUT!  
><strong>**Guest:**** yep she did and yep she does but I think simple and basic punishment/torture is the way to go with her, don't you think? ;)  
><strong>**ShezaRoxiela:**** here you go fwiend, u no worry  
><strong>**Guest:**** I'mma finish this alright, but it's gonna be a journey till we get there so hang with me for a while my friend  
><strong>**Guest:**** Omg I'm so sorry omg, but as some sort of consolation, have this chapter and be assured that the next two won't be coming half a year later, respectively. Enjoyyy**

**Okay guys, hold on tight, we're goin' into the climax…**

Chapter 17

As it turned out, "having Starfire back" meant "another week of rest Kori."

I sighed angrily and just let myself fall on the couch, stopping my recent pacing. I ran a hand down my face and tried relaxing against the sofa. I had spent enough time last week alone pacing, I didn't want or need to do it again.

I was alone in the house since I had sent Marie to daycare a few hours ago. She had wanted to stay home so much but I just shook my head and pushed both her and I out the door. My patience had been wearing thin from the moment I had woken up and I didn't want Marie to be around when I finally and eventually snapped. So off to daycare she went.

Heaving myself off the couch, I went over to the kitchen and went to the pantries, rummaging around for something to eat. I finally found a bag of pretzels that had somehow managed to land in the top cupboards and served myself a glass of water, going back to the living room and turning the TV on.

Bad idea.

The first thing I saw when I turned it on was a gossip program, of all things, talking about "Starfire" being back.

"… Looking very happy now that his girlfriend has returned. Here he is walking in the park with his beloved just a few days ago, isn't that sweet!"

I scoffed in disgust and turned the TV off without a second thought. Silence seems like a very good idea right now.

I opened the bag of pretzels and chewed slowly, staring at the wall in front of me passively. I honestly tried not thinking of this incredibly messed up situation that Blackfire had put me in, but I literally could not escape it. It was in the newspapers, the magazines, TV shows, etc. The media was going mental covering every single thing possible related to Starfire's return, and I just wanted to scream.

Strangely though, I didn't. I had kept eerily calm throughout this entire ordeal, even though on the inside I just wanted to tear my sister apart limb from limb. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she knew how to do it well, no matter how much I may hate it.

She knew exactly how to play it up for the cameras, how to act in love with Richard, how to smile innocently and keep an air of naivety around her at all times. She had been practicing, I realized two days ago, a chill going down my spine. It made me wonder how long this plan of revenge had been going on in her head, just waiting for the perfect time to escape and put it in motion.

The last time I had seen her was about five and a half years ago, when my friends and I had locked her in prison for the last time. Or so we had thought. She had looked straight at me with such a bright glint in her eye as the guards were loading her up in the transportation ship, one that I had mistaken for unshed tears at the time. I knew now how sinister and dangerous it had been, and I shivered at the knowledge that it wasn't too hard to pick out when this revenge plot had started.

Even if I hadn't wanted to admit it, I had seen the glimpses of her insanity shining through her eyes for the first time, normally hidden under the cool façade she liked to use in front of everyone. Was it even hard for me to believe that she had been like this way before I had unwillingly noticed it? Was it really hard to believe that she had lost her grip on sanity just like she had lost her grip on our parents' affections so long ago?

I shook my head quickly, ridding myself of those thoughts as fast as humanely possible. Dropping the bag in my lap I put my head in my hands, massaging my temples slowly and trying to breathe evenly.

It was hard for me to admit all of this, even to myself. In my head I had always wanted Blackfire to be the perfect dream sister I always wanted, but instead I always had received the cruelly cold, manipulative version I had never even imagined dreaming of. For so long I had blocked out the reality of the situation; ignored that Blackfire wasn't who I wanted her to be and focused on her sickeningly sweet actions that hid her manipulative motives cleverly, believing that being sweet was just what she was. That's why I turned out to be pretty naive and sweet later on, honestly. Wanted to be just like my big sister and all that.

I sighed. So much for that.

Suddenly feeling cooped up in my own house, I stood up. I haphazardly threw the bag of half eaten pretzels on the dining table and went to my room to grab my purse and wallet. There was no way I'd be staying in here all day today.

I knew how risky it was to go out now because of my sister being out there somewhere, but I honestly couldn't be bothered enough to care. I was not going to give her the satisfaction of ruining me, no matter the cost.

She was probably still acting in love with Robin anyways, I thought, rolling my eyes as I walked out my door.

Okay, so I was a bit bitter. But who could blame me? This was plenty enough reason to warrant bitterness, thank you very much.

I shouldered my purse, checking for my keys, and walked the short distance to my car. I still had about two and a half hours until Marie got out, and I was going to make the most of it.

~*WAYN*~

Two peaceful walks along the pier and a visit to the Jump City museum later, and I had managed to simmer down some of the anxiousness and restlessness I had begun feeling. I was (mostly) calm now, and so when I got a phone call, I simply answered it, already knowing who it was going to be.

"Hi Raven, what's up?"

"Starfire, come home. I need to discuss something important with you," was all I heard before the dial tone began ringing in my ear.

Shrugging, I just walked back to my car and drove towards my apartment. When it came to Raven, listening to her was always the best idea.

I arrived a few minutes later and stepped out, looking up at my building complex for a moment. Though I had calmed down some already, the ever present anxiousness persisted and just wouldn't let me go. I sighed and looked back down at eye level again, walking up the stairs to my apartment.

I was greeted with Raven's calculating eyes looking at me from the moment I opened the door. Casually dropping my purse on the couch, I sat down on the sofa in front of her and quirked an eyebrow.

"Well? What's the important thing you needed to discuss with me? I'm all ears," I spoke, folding my hands in my lap.

Raven nodded and cleared throat. "I'm proposing to put a protective spell on both you and Marie," she told me.

"Yes," I said without hesitation.

Now it was Raven's turn to raise her eyebrow. "I haven't even told you what the spell does," she pointed out.

I just shook my head. "I don't care for that Raven. As long as Marie is safe from my sister I don't care." I saw her bite her lip briefly and could almost see the rapidly turning gears in her head. About a second later she nodded and stood.

"Call me as soon as Marie gets home alright? This spell needs to have both of you present." I looked at her and nodded, still in the same spot on the couch. She smiled slightly before waving once and slipping out the door.

And so I was left alone yet again.

I sighed and got up, passing the dining table where I had left my bag of pretzels. I thought for a second, then traced my steps back to the bag's location and took it with me to my room instead.

Reaching for my laptop from under my bed, I opened it and turned it on, turning on my radio in the meantime and playing an old cd of mine to occupy the silence that had taken over the space. Once my computer had turned on completely I checked my work email (as expected, nothing) and then checked my personal account (nothing again).

I sighed, pushing the laptop to the opposite side of the bed. I placed the untouched pretzels on my bedside and lay down on my back, staring at the ceiling. I turned my head to the side and glanced at my monogram clock, its glaring red numbers staring right back.

11:27 am

I had an hour to go till Marie was let out.

Rolling onto my side, I closed my eyes and let out a breath. Might as well rest if I'm not going to do anything productive (or even procrastinate) right?

~*WAYN*~

Waking up about half an hour later, I sighed and went on my back, staring at the ceiling fan spinning round and round for a while.

Eventually though, I had to get up and get ready to pick up Marie. After a few minutes I was ready to go and I stepped out the house, looking around cautiously before leaving.

I had been pretty much left alone lately, and I don't know whether to be thankful of that or terrified. With Blackfire –or Com, as she likes to call herself–, one could never really be sure what to expect. She could strike in the next few seconds or in a month, and none would be the wiser. There would be no warning.

I shook my head and sighed, frustrated. I was beginning to feel fed up with all this anxiety and paranoia that had begun to set in, and it was really pissing me off. All this emotion was threatening to set off my powers, and it's becoming increasingly hard to keep it under control and stay calm. More often than not, I would have to put in a new set of contacts at least three times a day because my eyes would begin to glow at the mere thought of Com. It was throwing off the balance I had created after all this time, what I had spent all these years teaching myself.

How in the world I was going to go to work and act supportive about "Starfire being back", I had no idea.

But I sure as hell am going to try.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the daycare and stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath and walking towards the daycare. I was met with confused faces as soon as I stepped through the door and I paused.

"What?" I asked slowly, looking at all the workers who kept looking quizzically at me before moving on, eventually landing on Jessica.

Her brow furrowed and she put the papers she had been holding on the front desk, meanwhile asking me, "Kor, what are you doing here?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm here to pick up Marie, Jess," I told her.

This just confused her more. "You just told us you'd pick her up around four because you had errands to run," a puzzled tilt to her tone, and I just froze, my body turning cold.

I felt the blood rush out of me in that second. All I could do was stare at her with wide eyes. My heart was gripped in the ice cold hands of fear and I could feel my throat closing up.

'Not Marie, oh dear god, anything but Marie.'

Before she could even ask me anything, though, I snapped out of my shock and sprang into action.

"Where is Marie," I demanded, going straight towards the play area. I could hear Jessica behind me trying to catch up, her worried and bewildered questions sounding far away. I scanned the the indoors first with no luck before going out to the playground, and I found her swinging herself alongside a boy, both talking to each other animatedly. I called her, my voice a tad hysterical, and I saw her head snap up at her name. She lit up and ran to me, and I bent down to pull her into my arms. I hugged her as tight as I possibly could without hurting her and sighed in relief. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up, seeing a frazzled Jessica. I smiled apologetically and stood, automatically placing Marie on my hip.

"Sorry Jess, won't happen again," I grinned. She started to smile back, but then I saw her face shift, turning confused.

"When did you get green contacts?" She asked, pointing to my face. My eyes widened and I smiled.

"You're the first to notice, thanks! I got them two days ago, I was nervous about trying them on and today's the rest run," I fibbed on the spot. After all the recent times my anger burned out my contacts, Raven helped me think out a few excuses and lies to give when I didn't have time to put new ones in and others noticed. That and I began to try improv a little more, which was quickly proving to be my best friend.

This time, Jessica smiled at me. "You're welcome, and I really hope that is the last time this happens though, you scared everyone quite a bit you know."

I nodded. "I know and I apologize again," I told her genuinely. Never again, I thought to myself, keeping my grin in place.

She was never going to get close to us again.

After I buckled Marie into her booster, I drove home slowly and calmly, making conversation with the always excited three year old, who kept talking nonstop about her birthday coming up soon.

"Imma be four mommy!" She exclaimed, holding out hour fingers after counting them, a happy smile on her face. That made me smile in return, looking at her through the rear view mirror while we were at a stoplight. Knowing that she wasn't even five yet and she could already count was both an uplifting and terrifying realization for me.

Uplifting because it meant that my little girl was incredibly smart and I knew she'd turn out to be my little genius. Terrifying because it meant that she was growing up way too fast for my liking. I had grown accustomed to earth ways of parenting, to expect the children to learn things slowly but surely. But Marie was gliding through all of the things she should have struggled with ease. I didn't know what to think.

Breaking free of my thoughts, I blinked several times and looked at the light, which was still red. I looked in the rear view mirror and found that Marie was still chattering away in the back. I sighed and forced myself to think positive.

It had gotten me this far, and I'll be damned if it didn't continue this way.

~*WAYN*~

Once we had stepped in the house I had called Raven, shortly saying to her that there was something I needed to tell her and that Marie was already home. She immediately told me she'd be over in two minutes and I began to clear up the living room and the dining table, which led to cleaning up the stray toys in the hallway and instructing Marie to tidy up her room and that she'd get a snack if she finished quickly. Going to my room, I straightened the sheets on the already made bed and stacked the haphazard papers lying everywhere into one space on my desk.

I was just about to go double check if the dining table was clean when the doorbell rang. I sighed and walked out of my room, passing Marie's and seeing her peep her head out the door, curious as to who is at the door. I gestured for her to stay in there a bit longer and she simply shut her door. Crossing the living room, I opened the front door and saw Raven looking at me, her expression inquisitive.

"What did you have to tell me?" She asked me.

I nodded to myself and walked inside, sitting down. Raven did the same and I explained to her what had happened just an hour prior.

Her face turned grim as I finished, and as soon as I had stopped talking she spoke up.

"We need to do the spell now, before she tries to do anything else," she said gravely, and I nodded and stood. I was just about to go to Marie's room when Raven suddenly stood up, startling me.

"Wait," she hesitated in speaking but just continued, "Do you want her to see me do the spell?"

That got me thinking. Do I want Marie to see Raven do the spell? She loves the Teen Titans cartoons and is over the moon now that she realizes that she knows the actual members, but that show is different from the reality of us, our team. It's only an interpretation, and Mars is only four. She's still too young for this.

And then it all caught up to me. Do I want all this to happen? Do I really want my daughter to get thrust into this world, the one I had run away from? Do I want her to experience crime fighting, when I had left the Teen Titans so she wouldn't have to in the first place? So she could be normal and ordinary? I didn't want Marie to get involved in the superhero whirlwind in the first place, and now here I am, willingly pushing her in.

I should just move away from Jump City, find a quiet, ordinary town, and forget about all of this. Blackfire can win, I just want my baby to be left alone. I don't care for anything else. Yes, that's a good idea, a great idea.

11Raven sighed, bringing me back to our conversation. "Starfire, Mars was going to go into this sooner or later. It's best that we do it now so we can help her and guide her. I know you don't want to get her involved in all the hero crap, but she's your kid. And Robin's. And anyone that's related to either of you is going to do anything but watch as people are in danger. I can bet you whatever you want that if we don't do anything now, she'll just eventually get into this herself, and I honestly don't think it'll be in the way you prefer."

I shook my head and nodded after. "You're right Raven. Let's do this." I inhaled deeply and let it all go quickly. "Even though I don't want her to see, she will eventually, and if we're really going to do this, we might as well show her what our world can do."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her react to my words. I haven't included myself in the superhero world for a long time, and haven't thought of myself as part of it in just as long. But it felt right to say 'our world' at the time, and from the look of contained surprise on Raven's face, I knew it was.

I smiled at her, Raven matching my own, and we both walked to Marie's room, bracing ourselves for what would eventually and inevitably happen.

**Okay okay I know I suck and that it was way too long a wait and I'm sorry about it I really am, but I hope you guys still like this story and maybe still like it enough to review it?**

**Idk, just a suggestion, idk**

**Love you guys, you're all lovely people for sticking with me and this story, please re11view (for it makes me happy), and happy holidays! Happy early new year's everyone, be safe!**


	18. Chapter 18

**EIGHTEEEEEEEEENNN**

**Hiii guys I've resurfaced, how are yall?**

**Ok so I'm mostly done editing the next chapter and I possibly may have no. 19 up by the end of next week, and chapter 20 is in the works right now and **_**should**_** be finished by… the second week of June?**

**I'm incredibly sorry for the wait people, but hectic life = hectic schedule = no time for anything. This is a small one, I'll admit that, but there was no other way to cut this humongous thing I had written without giving you guys a bigger cliffhanger than it already has. I promise no. 19 is gonna be bigger than this, and that it's gonna come out very soon!**

**Reviews****:  
><strong>**HorsemanOTA**: Thank you! Here's the next chapter and please enjooyy**  
><span>TraitorousFreshman15<span>**: I know right? Haha I found yet another break right now which equals this lovely chapter (and hopefully the next one too) so please enjoy!**  
><span>GreatWolf 64<span>**: You're not bugging me, don't worry, and I know, I kinda morphed it to better fit the story because otherwise it would've created a little mess. (granted, there's now loopholes because of it but shh they aren't there haha)**  
><span>GreatWolf 64<span>**: Don't feel sorry, it's okay! I intentionally wrote it like that to ramp up the insanity factor she has going, highlighting the fact that she's insane but extremely clever in making herself seem something she's not. Thank you for this, I love talking about this story!**  
><span>Little-Princess7<span>**: Here you goo, please enjoy!**  
><span>GreatWolf 64<span>**: Thank you! Here's the next oneee**  
><span>Guest<span>**: One of those two is close to what's going to happen, but you'll have to keep reading to find out which one ;)**  
><span>thatrandomnerd<span>**: Thank you for reading this! And I can't reveal _too_ much, but I will say that Blackfire has always loved to mess with her sister, even if it's just a small little thing to upset her and catch her off guard. And Marie is basically one of Starfire's weak spots, sooooo**  
><span>Silvina Goh<span>**: Aww thank yoouuu, and things shall be revealed in this chapter, so please read away :)**  
><span>penguinmovies79<span>**: YOU TELL EM LOVELY READER, YOU TELL EM**  
><span>kiwiee.106<span>**:Thank you, you lovely person, and enjoy this new chapter!**  
><span>Guestr<span>**: Awwwww I'm so sorry that it made you cry! I'll write up some lovely fluff for the next chapters, I promiseee  
><span><strong>vanessa isaacs<strong>: Could you be a **bit** more polite?

**Enjoy loveliesss**

Chapter 18

~*2 weeks later*~

"Star, we should tell Gary about all of this."

I just looked at her blankly. I can't say I didn't expect it, that I wasn't just waiting for her to bring it up, but if I'm being honest, I don't know what she was expecting me to say.

"I don't know what you're expecting me to say."

She just sighed and started carding her hands through Marie's hair. I looked down, forgetting she was there. She had suddenly laid down on both of us while we were talking in our living room and promptly fell asleep, her head in Raven's lap and her feet in mine. She was out cold, since it was already noon, I realized. I took her hand in mine and just stroked it lightly, getting lost in how peaceful and calm she looked.

"Telling Gary would mean he'd tell Victor, and I honestly don't know if I'm ready for that," I told her truthfully, still looking down at my daughter. I glanced at her when I finished talking though, and to my surprise I saw her smiling.

"Star, that's why I'm saying we should tell him. He can't keep a secret from his best friend if it saved his life, and the more support you have the better. I know that you appreciate the help I'm giving you to protect you and Marie, but I alone can't help you completely. You'd have two more eyes on Marie keeping her safe, and right now we need all the help we can get. My magic is powerful, but not enough to do it all." she smirked suddenly, her expression turning knowing. "Plus, I _know _you miss them both. You can't deny it, I've seen how wistful you are whenever you think they can't see you." She patted my knee and toned down the smirk, changing it into a small smile. "You know they miss you too, you've seen how they get when someone mentions you. And yeah, they'll be a little upset with you —and me too, honestly— in the beginning, just like I was, but they'll get over it quickly. The fact that we miss you wins overall."

"But what if they tell Robin?" I whispered, looking at the ground as I said it. It's what's always plagued my mind, Robin finding out. And after that, the uncertainty of how he would react. He's not the same teenager I fell for years ago, he's different now, and even though I've been working with this new Robin for almost half a year, I honestly don't know that much about him. And that scares me.

"They won't tell him, trust me. They may not be able to hide secrets from each other, but from others they're champs at it. And even if they _did_, Robin wouldn't believe them." She rolled her eyes, "He has Starfire back now, remember?" The sarcasm clear in her tone.

My fury was renewed yet again at the mere mention of the current situation. I tried to contain it since it wouldn't be wise to do anything with Marie right in my lap. I must have not been doing a great job though, because a corner of Raven's lips quirked and she chuckled.

"There we go, there's the furious rebel inside of you." She pointed to her eyes, quirking her eyebrow. "You might want to put in some new contacts though, you got so furious that your eyes started to glow and they melted the contacts."

My eyes widened and I brought a hand up to my eyes, looking down at my daughter in my lap. Raven gently took her legs off my lap and gestured toward the bathroom.

"Go ahead, I've got her." I nodded gratefully and rushed to put more contacts back in.

Once I had gotten a hold of the little container, I leaned in front of the mirror to put them on. Instead of doing that though, I found myself just staring at my reflection, and my mind started racing.

When did I turn into this? Into this… scared, anxious shell of a person? I used to be fearless and always so happy, and I never shied from anything. How did I turn into this without even noticing it?

I lightly rested my hand under one of my eyes, just looking at myself. My glowing green eyes stared right back at me.

I stayed like that for some time before determination began taking over me. Determination that had my eyes glowing brighter than before. Leaving the contacts on the counter, I walked out the bathroom and into the living room, seeing Raven look up as soon as she heard me. She furrowed her brow slightly at the fact that I hadn't put in the contacts yet, bit didn't say anything.

"We're telling them both, at the same time." I looked down at Marie, who was now curled up in the spot I was sitting in moments ago. "But first we're telling Marie."

Raven's eyes widened. "Star, are you sure? That's huge but—"

"I know and I don't care, she deserves to know that she was right about Starfire and I being one and the same." I smiled slightly before getting back on track.

"Let's do this," I murmured, walking over to the couch and shaking her gently awake.

"Marie, c'mon wake up sweetheart," I told her, a small smile starting on my face when she grumbled and moved away from me in an effort to sleep more.

"Baby, come on, get up," I encouraged. "I have a surprise for you" I sing-sang, smirking when she finally sat up.

"Momma? What's the surprise?" She said sleepily, rubbing at her eyes with tiny fists.

"Open your eyes and you'll see," I said, looking over to Raven. Her expression was somewhere in between impressed and proud, and she just nodded in Marie's direction. I nodded back and turned just in time to see her open her eyes. The first thing she saw was me, and immediately her eyes narrowed. She reached out a little hand to touch my face and her head titled to the side.

"Mommy, your eyes are green," she stated. The question in her eyes was clear. Why?

I chuckled. "Yes honey, they're green. Want to know why?"

Marie nodded seriously, still looking into my eyes.

"You have to promise me and Auntie Rae that you'll keep this a secret okay? You can't tell anyone. Not even your friends or anyone at daycare okay? Especially not Mr. Richard, alright?"

She nodded but her brow furrowed at the mention of Robin's name. "Why not Mr. Richard mommy?"

"Because he will find out about it later, okay?" Another nod.

I turned to Raven and smirked. "What do you think _Rachel_? Should we tell her?" Marie also turned to her and nodded frantically, bringing out the puppy eyes for emphasis. I held back a giggle.

Raven smirked back. "I think we should _Kori_." She replied, playing along. I nodded and directed my attention back to my daughter, who was looking at both of us pleadingly. I gestured for her to come closer to me and I leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I am Starfire."

What happened next was a blur of black hair running all over the living room and endless squealing. After a while she managed to stop bouncing around enough to look at me, her beaming smile lighting up her face.

"Can I see mommy can I see pleeeeeaase?"

I smirked and closed my eyes, focusing on the power that had been dormant for so long. I hadn't used them since I went into hiding, and it just felt so nice to do it.

I heard muffled squeals and I grinned, opening my eyes again and looking down to see Raven holding Marie in her lap while I hovered a few feet in the air in front of them. Raven was grinning, and sent me an approving nod, something akin to pride in her eyes. But I could also see the underlying negative emotions just beneath the surface.

The apprehension, the worry, they were constantly there, just tucked away far enough away from prying eyes. I know that the same thing occurs to me, and instead of focusing on them and spending time making myself miserable with the possibilities of whatever could go wrong, I just tucked them far away and smiled back, directing my attention to the here and now, where Raven and I were left to deal with an overly excited three year old.

I hovered down to look Marie in the eye and kept my grin in place, crouching in midair. "So, what do you think Marie?"

"My mommy is Starfire!"

I laughed, throwing my head back, and Raven grinned, chuckling at Marie as she caught her in a hug. I came back down to the floor and ended up hugging them both, Raven and I laughing and Marie mumbling "my mommy is Starfire" under her breath.

**THERE IT IS WHAT DID YALL THINK**

**I hope you enjoyed this small little thing, please review! It makes me happy when you guys review so pls?**

**Bye for now guys! Congrats to all graduating this time of year!**


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